Archiv-Bio

2002
Steamboat Switzerland with two acoustic concerts in Holland and "Orange Slice” in Switzerland (Winterthur, Bern, Expo, Rote Fabrik (Zurich))
ZOOM on Spring Europe-Tour
Portrait at Moods Jazz club with BIG ZOOM (premiere) and with the piano duos Aki Takase-Niggli, Blum-Niggli
Concerts with Felix Huber "Al Fresco”
Concerts with Pierre Favres Ensemble at the Expo 02, Orphee and Euridice.
Steamboat Switzerland at the following festivals: SKIF/St. Petersburg, Moers, LEM/Barcelona, Eindhoven, Bochum.
ZOOM at festivals in Moers, Schaffhausen, Saalfelden, Konstanz, Lausanne, Amsterdam (Trytone), Utrecht (Rumor).
Project around ZOOM and Steamboat Switzerland at the Jazz festival Moers (Dampfschiff Schweiz).
Big ZOOM at the Jazz festival Willisau (Switzerland).
Premiere of the orchestra piece "Serendipity” by L. Niggli for the youth orchestra "Il Mosaico” (Wattwil, Switzerland) with 4 performances.
Steamboat Switzerland at the international multimedia project "Loud&Clear”, contribution of one composition
L. Niggli’s drummers’-quartet at the Expo for the "Arteplage Mobile du Jura”.
Ensemble-course at the Jazz School Lucerne.
Ended teaching at the college in Küsnacht.
Started teaching at the Music College Lucerne, Djembe at the Rhythm-Seminar.
Duo concerts with Peter Waters.

2001
First performances with Pierre Favre’s drummers’ octet "The Drummers”
Performance with Stephan Eicher and the European Chaos String Quintett, at the Monastery of Ittingen
Steamboat Switzerland at the Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon (April) and Ultima Festival in Oslo (Oct.).
ZOOM and Steamboat Switzerland at the Loft-Project, Jazz festival Moers 01.
Concerts with Erika Stucky and roots of Communication (Europhonics Dortmund, Mulhouse Festival).
Double release of Steamboat Switzerland on GROB Records: "ac/dB (hayden)” and "budapest”, as well as Multibox with vinyl single.
ZOOM on Euro tour and at the festival in Mulhouse in September
Singing Drums: Farewell tour in October
ZOOM wins the Marguerite de Redding improvisational price of the STV/AMS (as one of four price winners).
Extensive Steamboat Switzerland north-east tour (November).
Duo Demierre-Niggli at the Fabrikjazz anniversary.
Orange Slice and ZOOM in northern Holland (Dec.).
Erika Stucky and Roots of Communication December tour.

2000
Tour with trio "ZOOM” (Nils Wogram and Phillipp Schaufelberger)
Recording at the Radio Studio, Lausanne
The foundation Pro Helvetia requests a composition from "ZOOM”
Touring through Canada and the US with "Steamboat Switzerland” (including the
Jazz festival, Vancouver)
Swiss tour with "Pierre Favre’s Singing Drums”
Solo recording on Swiss television (Intermezzi)
Second tour with "ZOOM”, recording at the Radio Studio, Zurich
Performance by "Steamboat Switzerland” at the Jazz Festival Schaffhausen, at the "Fest der Künste”, and "Neue Horizonte Bern”
"Steamboat Switzerland” receives the Culture-Award of 36,000 Swiss Francs from the City of Zurich
Duet Performance with Sylvie Courvoirsier at the Canaille Festival in Frankfurt and at the "Kaleidoskop” in Ulrichsberg
Performance of the composition "Orange Slice” by David Dramm with "Steamboat Switzerland” at the "November Music 2000”
Three monthly substitutions for Pierre Favre at the Musicschool of Luzern
Acceptance as an Instructor at the "Kantonsschule” (high school) Küsnacht

1999
Tour and CD production with "Pierre Favre’s European Chamber Ensemble”
Duet Swiss tour with Sylvie Courvoirsier, recording of the CD "Larvin”
Completion of the large project "Orfeo” with "Pierre Favre’s European Chamber Ensemble” and his dance formation
"Steamboat Switzerland” tours through Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Live recordings.
Performance of the piece "dB(i-vii)” by Sam Hayden with "Steamboat Switzerland” at the Gaudeamus Music Week 1999.
Performance with Pierre Favre’s European Chamber Ensemble” and the "Roots of Communication” at the Jazz Festival Schaffhausen
Performance with "Odyssey 01” at the "Musikfest Woche” (Music-Week), Lucerne
Lecturer at the international "Tagung für Improvisation” (Session for Improvisation) including Course-teaching and solo concerts.
Further Swiss tours with Sylvie Courvoirsier following the release of "Larvin”

1998
Tour with Fred Frith, Sylvie Courvoirsier and Urs Leimgruber
"Steamboat Switzerland” receives a composition commission from the foundation Pro Helvetia
Invitation for "Steamboat Switzerland” to perform at the Gaudeamus Festival, Amsterdam
Concert with "Singing Drums” in Switzerland, Italy (Talos Festival), Germany (Nürnberg Jazz Festival) and Austria
Tour through Italy with "Roots of Communication” (A sextet with alphorn, drums, piano, bass, and vocals)
Recording of the CD "Al Valico die Secoli” (Esperia Records)
Duet concert with Pierre Favre in Switzerland, Cairo, and Egypt, co-operation with musicians from "Nile-Troupe"
Member of Pierre Favre’s "European Chamber Ensemble”. Performance at the Jazz Festival, Willisau
Swiss Music Syndicate (SMS)-Project "Road Movie” (by Michel Wintsch and Jean-Jeacques Pedritti)
Swiss tour and CD recording in Frankfurt for the label "Between the Lines”
Completion of the project "Odyssey 01” (Video performance with Erika Stucki)
Recording of a radio play with Sylvie Courvoirsier
President of the SMS (Schweizer Musik Syndikat/Swiss Music Syndicate)
Duet concert with Peter Waters
Solo performances in Switzerland and at the "Frankfurter Buchmesse” (Frankfurt’s book exhibition)

1997
European tour "Singing Drums meets Greetje Bjima” (incl. Jazz Festival Berlin)
CD recording of "Souffles” by the "Singing Drums” in St. Gerold, Austria
CD recording by "Steamboat Switzerland” in Favreolles, France
Organizer of the "Nichtalltägliches Orchesters ENAO 91” and "ENAO 93” (Orchestra project with 25 young exponents of the Swiss music scene)
Participation at the " Zürcher Festspiele” and the "Davoser Musikfestival” with the "Collegium Novum” under the leadership of Günther Schuller (Works from Mingus, Schuller and Milhaud)
Performance at the "Label Festival” in Paris
Performance at the Workshop for Improvised Music (WIM), Zurich. Alfredo Zimmerlin, Christoph Baumann, Werner Lüdi, Uli Scherrer, Martin Schütz and "Steamboat Switzerland” stage Sam Hayden’s "Time is Money”
Member of "Rahel Hadorn’s Acoustic Stories” (CD production "Live at Moods”, concert at the Volkshaus, Zurich
Member of "The Head of Holofernes” (Dance performance by Mathias Gloor and his "Swing Space Ballet”

1996
US and Canada tour with "Sludge 2000” (with Stephan Wittwer and Marino Pliakas)
Tour with the "Singing Drums” in Switzerland and Italy
Performance at the "JazzNoJazz” festival in Zurich and at the "Music of the World” festival in Basel with the "Singing Drums meets Samuel Nori”
Concert in Cairo and Khartoum with "Roots of Communication”
Member of the Ambient Core Trio "Steamboat Switzerland” (with Dominik Blum and Marino Pliakas)

1995
Concert in Wupperthal with Hans Koch, Peter Kowald, Fred Frith, Daniel Erismann and Katrin Scholl
European tour as a part of an exchange-project of European Jazz clubs with the "Roots of Communication” (2 Alphorns and Percussion)
Swiss tour accompanied by "Kieloor Entartet” (resulting in the double CD "The Red Light Fugue”)
Concert with "Michel Wintsch Trio” (Martin Schütz and Michel Doneda)
Manager, creating his own label "UNIT-Records” and the VIMS
(Verein Imrovisierender MusikerInnen Schweiz/ Community of Improvising Musicians Switzerland)
Performance of "Instrumental Studies” by Frederic Rzewski

1994
Concert-cycle lasting 4 days with "Kieloor Entartet” ("The Red Light Fugue”) in the Jazz club Uster, resulting in a double CD (live recorded and cut)
"Kieloor Entartet” receives an endowment of 36,000 Francs scholarship from the city of Zurich
Carte Blanche by "Fabrikjazz Zürich” (Large formation with Trevor Watts Yves Robert, Martin Schütz, Jo Truman, Marino Pliakas and others)
Membership of the "Conduction” from Butch Morris within the framework of the Swiss Soundartists’ Party
Performance of compositions by Larry Polanski for Rock Bands and Marimba phone Quartet

1993
Organization of the "ENAO93” a "Nicht Alltägliches Orchester” (25 musicians from an eleven-day project of original compositions in the fields of limited jazz-rock and classical. These would later be performed in six different cities)
As a guest with the group "Festival Intime” from Swiss Radio DRS (Benjamin-Band with Christoph Grab, Mathias Kielholz, Thomas Schenkel and others
Member of diverse projects and bands like the "Atcha Makossa” (Afro), "Teddy Fontessa” (Street Jazz), "Total Recall” with Harald Haerter, "Nottwil” (Drumsixtett under the leadership of Michael Werthmüller), 2les tambours du temps” (Pierre Favre’s percussion-group with Michel Godard and Roberto Ottaviano)
Concerts throughout EuropeKonzerte in ganz Europa.

1992
Second CD recording with "Kieloor Entartet” (A Good Dog Has a Day, a Bad One Might Just Have Two, UNIT Records). Tours in Russia and in the Baltic States.
CD recording with "Drumscopes and Mute Songs” (creative music with George Hoffman, Lucas Niggli- Percussion)
CD recording Letter, Leo Records. With the Mongolian singer Sainkho Namtchylak.
2 concerts in Russia
Member of the "Sludge 5-0 with Stephan Wittwer, the guitarist from Zurich and Wietn Wito, the bassist.
Recitation of drums at the Radio Bern with Sylwya Zytinska (Compositions by Mauricio Kagel and solo pieces)

1991
A new program of "Kieloor Entartet” is being presented during concert tours at a variety of festivals in Switzerland and elsewhere
Compositions by Frederic Rzewski are staged with the "Ensemble Neue Horizonte Bern”

1990
"Kieloor Entartet” is being promoted by Migros Inc. The CD recording "No more beer” is being financed (Ex Libris)
"Kieloor Entartet” wins first price in the European Jazz Competition in Leverkusen
Takes part in the 5-week improvisation course initiated by the Swiss Music Syndicate (SMS) and Swiss Musician’s Co-operation (MusikerInnen Kooperative Schweiz, MKS) under the guidance of Peter K. Frey and Walter Fähndrich
Performances of Solo and Ensemble pieces by John Cage

1989
Lessons from Pierre Favre. Visits seminars in Siena (Jazz- Summer Academy) and Darmstadt (1989-1991 attending instrumental courses from Robyn Schulkovsky, Günter Sommer and Pierre Favre)
Member of the "Michael Gassman Quartet”. Concerts in Switzerland and beyond Participation in the EJC in Leverkursen (CD recording at UNIT-Records)

1979
Beginning with classical drum lessons
Later played in a school band under the guidance of M. Brupbacher; first contacts with new music
After graduation one semester at the general section of the Jazz School St. Gallen with lessons with Ernst Brunner (Vibraphone) and Heinz Lieb (Drums)
Later, autodidactic studies
First concert experience in diverse Jazz and Rock bands as well as the acceptance and participation in the "Schweizer Jugend-Sinfonie-Orchester” (Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra)

1968
Born in Kamerun, West Africa. Presently Lucas Niggli lives in Uster, Switzerland.