Biography


Conny Bauer – an overview

Konrad Conny Bauer (born 4th July, 1943 in Halle an der Saale) began to play guitar at 16 after his family had moved to the Thuringian town of Sonneberg in 1957. In various amateur dance bands he went on to also play trumpet, alto saxophone, drums and bass guitar, as well as singing, performing then current Schlager tunes. His first formal tuition came in 1962 under Hans Baake, learning trombone. Between 1964 and ’68 Conny Bauer studied trombone at the ‘Carl Maria von Weber’ college of music under Willi Baumgärtel and Alouis Bambula. In 1970 he continued his studies in Berlin under the tutelage of Gerhard Lemke.
Since 1973 he has continued to explore and experiment with this instrument, continually developing new worlds of sound for himself and his audiences.

.

Conny Bauer today? An abridged musical review of 2008/2009

  • Guest performances in the United Kingdom, Russia, Belgium, Holland, Italy and France
  • Numerous solo concerts

Conny Bauer has performed at speeches held by

  • ex-President M.S. Gorbachov in Moscow,
  • Prof. Klaus Steeck, Chairman of the Academy of Arts in Berlin and
  • Dr. Fritz Jacobi, Curator of the German National Gallery in Berlin

Unforgettable:
A Conny Bauer trombone performance to accompany the fireworks display at the Pyromusikale in Berlin
Performances with the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet
Conny Bauer in the Evan Parker Double Quartet
Trombone and drums in the Duo Conny Bauer-Han Bennink
Concerts by Bauer-Bauer and Doppelmoppel und Bauer 4

.

Conny Bauer has played as soloist and – amongst others – as a member of the following orchestras and ensembles:

  • Graham Collier Big Band
  • London Jazz Composers Orchestra
  • NDR Big Band
  • European Jazz Ensemble
  • Joachim Kühn- Jubilee Band
  • Creative Music Orchestra USA / Canada
  • East Asia Orchestra Japan
  • Globe Unity Orchestra

Conny Bauer has created musical projects with such notable players as:

  • Peter Brötzmann, Fred van Hove, Han Bennink, Derec Bayley
  • Butch Morris, Micha Mengelberg, Antony Braxton, George Lewis
  • Alexander von Schlippenbach, Tony Oxlay, Jon Rose, Barry Guy
  • Peter Kowald, Louis Moholo, Maggie Nickols, E. L. Petrowsky
  • Ulrich Gumpert, Günter Sommer, Uwe Kropinski, Helmut Joe Sachse
  • Louis Sclavis, Joachim Kühn, Ernst Reijseger, Johannes Bauer
  • Irene Schweizer, Barre Phillips

Conny Bauer is inextricably linked to the ensembles Exis, FEZ, the K. Bauer Quartett, the K. Bauer Trio, Doppelmoppel and the Zentralquartett, acting as initiator or founding member.

.

In addition to the SWR Jazz Prize, Conny Bauer has also received the German Federal Land of Berlin’s Order of Merit and most recently the German Record Critics’ Award.