Bernward Koch

Bernward Koch (2017)

Bernward Koch (born January 23, 1957 in Siegen ) is a German musician and composer. His main instruments are piano and keyboards, and he also plays concert guitar, various percussion instruments, bass and drums.

Career

Bernward Koch started playing the trumpet at the age of 12. At the age of 15 he received classical piano lessons, at the same time self-taught drums, electric bass and guitar and played in the first bands. In his early twenties he began to study at the Cologne University of Music and at the same time regularly attended several jazz / rock / pop seminars ("jazz courses") at the Remscheid Academy , at the University of Bremen , at Weikersheim Castle and the Altenmelle Education Center (including lessons at Sigi Busch and Pavel Blatný ). While he was live in various jazz-rock bands (e.g. 1990 tour with the "Brothers" to Moscow), instrumental compositions with a relaxed, pictorial character were created at home in his home studio.

In 1989 he signed his first record deal with the Hamburg-based special label Erdenklang for a solo project. So far, twelve solo albums have been released under his name, which are particularly successful in the USA besides Asia. His albums were featured several times in the American Billboards New Age Charts and also on numerous CD samplers. a. also on benefit compilations (The Wave / LA and KKSF / SF) together with Sting , Bonnie Riatt , Al Jarreau or Ottmar Liebert (US hit: "Ever Returning" from the album FLOWING). The song "Touched by Love" from the album "Walking through Clouds" appeared on a compilation in Belgium / Luxemburg (Universal) a. a. with Ennio Morricone , Tony Bennett and Lang Lang .

His music runs in many airlines around the globe ("Music against fear of flying"). The solo album MONTAGNOLA was created exclusively on the wing of the town hall in Wenden (Sauerland) , North Rhine-Westphalia , and is dedicated to the writer Hermann Hesse with its meditative piano improvisations . In Germany it became the audiophile highlight of STEREO magazine and won the Piano Heaven Award in England. In 2012, Bernward Koch received the culture award from the municipality of Wenden (North Rhine-Westphalia).

The Weber State University in Ogden (Utah) is his music for years successful in their anti-stress Center one. In September 2016 , his current album TOUCHED BY LOVE - A Collection, a "Best of" including two new compositions , was released by the US record company Real Music from Sausalito near San Francisco , to which he has been under contract since 1997.

Several of his direct-to-US albums were featured on the Grammy Awards ballot (New Age Album of the year). Bernward Koch has been an official jury member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences since 2016 and is voting member for the annual Grammy Awards.

music

Koch's music has a predominantly meditative-melodic character and is often used for relaxation, yoga , chillout , etc. The main melody mostly comes from the piano, other striking instruments are the flute and piccolo, played by Christiane Böhm, Koch's wife. Christoph Koch, his brother, contributes to the musical impression with the twelve-string guitar, percussion and drums. At concerts, Annina Struve (vocals, guitar, e-bass, percussion) is also added.

Projects

In addition to his solo productions and live performances under his name, there are various other projects, e.g. B. In the summer of 2006 he played two headliner festival gigs ("Streetlive" in Leverkusen and "Little Woodstock" in Völklingen) as keyboard player and percussionist with the German rock legend Kraan (with Peter Wolbrandt, Hellmut Hattler and Jan Fride Wolbrandt), where he was at short notice stepped in for the sick Ingo Bischof. In Leverkusen his brother Christoph Koch (percussion) was also there. Current band projects are the groups "Anders" and "Safra", for which he is active as a musician and songwriter.

attitude

For Bernward Koch himself, music means "telling stories with your own, recognizable signature."

Discography

Solo CDs

FLOWING (1989/1997 Erdenklang / DA-Music - Real Music, USA)
LAGUNA DE LA VERA (1992 Erdenklang / DA-Music - HOM / Virgin, USA)
STILL MAGIC (1995 BSC Music / Rough Trade)
PICANTE (1997 BSC Music / Rough Trade) with the group Pablo (= Brothers)
JOURNEY TO THE HEART (1999 Real Music, USA)
WALKING THROUGH CLOUDS (2005 Real Music, USA)
MONTAGNOLA (2008 Erdenklang / DA-Music)
GENTLE SPIRIT (2009 Real Music, USA)
SILENT STAR (2011 Real Music, USA)
DAY OF LIFE (2013 Real Music, USA)
REMEMBERING (2015 Real Music, USA)
TOUCHED BY LOVE (2016 Real Music, USA) a "Best of" including two new songs
FILLED WITH LIGHT (2017 Real Music, USA)
BECOMING (2020 Myndstream, USA)

Compilations CD (excerpt)

WAVE AID 4 (1990 The Wave 94.7 KTWV, USA)
SAMPLER FOR AIDS RELIEF (1990 KKSF 103.7 FM, USA)
PIANO DREAMERS (1997 Real Music, USA)
WAVE MUSIC VOL. 4 (2001 California Sunset Records)
LATIN RELAXATION (2006 inbalance / DA-Music)
INSPARATION (2006 Real Music, USA)
I-RELAX (Series) (2007 Real Music, USA)
FENG SHUI (2008 Bell records / BSC-Music)
FINDING BALANCE (sacred spa serial, 2009 Real Music, USA)
SOUNDS OF THE CIRCLE IV (2012 OnlyNewAgeMusic, USA)
NAMASTÉ ~ HEALING (2014 Real Music, USA)
ANGELS OF HOPE (2015 Real Music, USA)
SOUNDS OF THE CIRCLE VIII (2016 OnlyNewAgeMusic, USA)
FOREST BATHING (2016 Real Music, USA)

DVD

WINDIGE ZEITEN (Compilation - 2007 Erdenklang / DA-Music)
BLACK & WHITE - Piano Moods (Compilation - 2009 Erdenklang / DA-Music)

Music in films (also available on DVD)

SHANIKO (2008 inspireworks / USA, including "Childhood Hour")

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Koch, Bernward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German musician, composer
DATE OF BIRTH	January 23, 1957
PLACE OF BIRTH	Wins