Hauschka in Münster

Hauschka is the stage name of German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, born in 1966. His instrumental music centers on prepared piano, using objects placed on or between the strings to alter the instrument’s sound. Albums including The Prepared Piano, Ferndorf and Abandoned City established this approach, while his score for All Quiet on the Western Front won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Hauschka has toured internationally as a solo pianist, performing in concert halls, clubs and experimental-music settings. He manipulates the piano’s strings and mechanisms during the performance, then uses electronics and loops to build rhythmic patterns around the acoustic instrument. His Tiny Desk Concert documented that solo format at NPR Music.