Sylvie Courvoisier
Encyclopedia
Sylvie Courvoisier is a Swiss composer and pianist.
Courvoisier was born and raised in Switzerland. In 1998, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she currently resides. She co-leads the Sylvie Courvoisier/Mark Feldman
Quartet and leads her own quintet, Lonelyville, and the Trio Abaton. She is a member of Mephista, an improvising trio with Ikue Mori
and Susie Ibarra
; Herb Robertson
Quintet, with Tim Berne
, Tom Rainey
and Mark Dresser
; Vincent Courtois Trio, along with Ellery Eskelin
; and John Zorn
’s Cobra
. Since 1997, she also performs regularly in duo with violinist Mark Feldman
(her husband).
Courvoisier was born and raised in Switzerland. In 1998, she moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she currently resides. She co-leads the Sylvie Courvoisier/Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
Quartet and leads her own quintet, Lonelyville, and the Trio Abaton. She is a member of Mephista, an improvising trio with Ikue Mori
Ikue Mori
, also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, composer, and graphic designer.-Biography:Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She says she had little interest in music before hearing punk rock...
and Susie Ibarra
Susie Ibarra
Susie Ibarra is a Contemporary Composer and Percussionist who has worked and recorded with jazz, classical, world, and Indigenous musicians. She is known for her work as a performer in avant-garde, jazz, world and new music...
; Herb Robertson
Herb Robertson
Clarence “Herb” Robertson is a jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist. He was born in New Jersey and attended the Berklee School of Music...
Quintet, with Tim Berne
Tim Berne
Tim Berne is an American jazz saxophone player and composer.Described by critic Thom Jurek as commanding "considerable power as a composer and ... frighteningly deft ability as a soloist," Berne has composed and performed prolifically since the 1980s...
, Tom Rainey
Tom Rainey
Thomas "Tom" Rainey is an American drummer.After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with American jazz saxophonist and composer Tim Berne, and also with Nels Cline, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Tom Varner, Drew Gress, Kenny Werner, Mark Helias, and Simon...
and Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser
Mark Dresser is an American double bass player and composer.-Biography:He has performed and recorded with many of the luminaries of "new" jazz composition and improvisation. For ten years he performed with the Anthony Braxton Quartet, as well as diverse groups led by Ray Anderson, Tim Berne,...
; Vincent Courtois Trio, along with Ellery Eskelin
Ellery Eskelin
Ellery Eskelin American tenor saxophonist. Born in Wichita, Kansas, raised in Baltimore, Maryland from the age of two. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were also musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, California and became a cult figure after his death in the little known...
; and John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
’s Cobra
Cobra (Zorn)
Cobra is an unpublished but recorded and frequently performed musical composition by John Zorn that was conceived as a system with very detailed rules but with no pre-conceived sequence of events, or game piece, for a group of musical improvisors and a prompter. Zorn completed Cobra on October 9,...
. Since 1997, she also performs regularly in duo with violinist Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
(her husband).
Selected discography
- Hotel du Nord (Intakt 2011) with Feldman, Thomas Morgan , Gerry Hemingway
- Oblivia (Tzadik 2010) with Mark Feldman
- To Fly To Steal (Intakt201 ) with Feldman, Thomas Morgan , Gerry Hemingway
- Signs and Epigrams (Tzadik 2007, solo)
- Lonelyville (Intakt 2007, with Ikue MoriIkue Mori, also known as Ikue Ile, is a drummer, composer, and graphic designer.-Biography:Ikue Mori was born and raised in Japan. She says she had little interest in music before hearing punk rock...
, Mark FeldmanMark FeldmanMark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
, Vincent Courtois, Gerald Cleaver) - Abaton (ECM Records 2004, with Feldman, Erik FriedlanderErik FriedlanderErik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City.A veteran of NYC's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with saxophonist/composer John Zorn...
) - Malphas (Tzadik 2006, duo with Feldman, music of John Zorn)
- Entomological Reflections (Tzadik 2004,MEPHISTA: Courvoisier, Mori and Susie IbarraSusie IbarraSusie Ibarra is a Contemporary Composer and Percussionist who has worked and recorded with jazz, classical, world, and Indigenous musicians. She is known for her work as a performer in avant-garde, jazz, world and new music...
) - Y2K - Sylvie Courvoisier Ocre (Enja Records, 2000, with Michel GodardMichel GodardMichel Godard is a French tuba player and jazz musician.Godard was admitted at the age of 18 to the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio-France. His ability to produce overtones and musicality leaves the listener surprised at how light a seemingly cumbersome tuba can sound...
and Pierre Charial)
External links
Literature
- Rosset, Dominique: Au carrefour des mondes. La compositrice et pianiste lausannoise Sylvie Courvoisier. Zurich 2005.