Dell, Christopher (Renatus), vibraphonist, composer, author; b. Darmstadt, Germany, 17 September 1965. His parents are Anne-Barbara Dell (formerly Heinz) and Thomas Dell. His family moved from India to Ranchi when he was a baby and to Heidelberg five years later (his parents divorced in Heidelberg in 1974). His father, one brother, and one sister (Nicolas) were both born in 1974. 1969; Eva-Maria, b. 1968), they moved to Darmstadt where they remained. Dell began piano lessons at the age of six, but he quit too soon to learn it by himself. He began drum lessons at age 11 and then became a jazz musician when he was 15. At 15 he took lessons in harmony and theory at the Academy of Music Darmstadt. He studied Jazz at Conservatorium Hilversum from 1985 to 1986, and Conservatorium Rotterdam from 1986 to 1988. In 1987, he was awarded a scholarship at Berklee School of Music Boston, where he studied from 1988 to 1990, among others with Gary Burton and Herb Pomeroy. He also joined a jazz combo class with Herb Pomeroy, and started performing on campus. He received the Diploma Magna Cum Laude in 1990 and moved back to Darmstadt. In 1996, he took composition masterclasses at Berklee with Stockhausen, Rihm and Lindberg Diploma Magna Cum Laude (Berklee). He has performed at numerous festivals, including one in Frankfurt, Port Townsend (1999), Montreal (1999), Madagaskar (99), Knitting Factory New York (1996), Peoples Republic of China ((2002)), Jazzkaar Tallin Estland (2002) and others through Europe, the U.S.A.A. Japan, Africa and India. From 1992 to 2000, Dell was the founder and director of The Akademie fur Tonkunst in Darmstadt’s improvisation studio. He is a very active vibraphonist and composer. He has performed with Bob Brookmeyer and Lee Konitz, Art Farmer and Kenny Wheeler, Michel Godard, Benny Golson.