Pierre Favre Drum Solo

When Pierre Favre began to explore new sonic realms of drumming in the 1960s, he had already played with many internationally renowned Europeans and Americans, as well as with big bands featuring prominent musicians. Yet he felt compelled to create his own original music.

This began in a trio with the bassist George Mraz, then with Peter Kowald on double bass, and from the very start with Irene Schweizer on piano. In his search for the melodic aspects of drumming, Pierre Favre turned to solo performance. Together with Paul Motian, Fredy Studer and Nana Vasconcelos, he formed a percussion ensemble that maximised the orchestral possibilities of solo percussion playing. Singing Drums, a quartet featuring four drummers, underwent a further transformation to become the Europein Chamber Ensemble, an ensemble comprising two drummers, wind players and strings. In 2004, the City of Zurich honoured Pierre Favre with the City’s Art Prize.