Ulrich Drechsler began playing clarinet in his hometown’s marching band at age nine. To prepare for his entrance into a classical conservatory, he studied clarinet with a teacher at the Stuttgart operahouse. He learned the tenor and alto saxophones at the age of 16. This taught him how to improvise music. He decided to pursue jazz studies and moved to Austria. He studied at the University of Arts in Graz between 1992 and 1998. Ulrich Drechsler has been living in Vienna since 1999 as a free-lance composer and musician. The bass clarinet was his main instrument. His diverse experiences in student life reflect in his varied projects. He founded the trio Cafe Drechsler, which drew international attention shortly after arriving in Vienna. Stilistic elements from different music styles, such as contemporary electronic music, blend into an entirely improvised and acoustic setting. The group won the 2005 austrian Amadeus Award for their third album. Poesis Ulrich Drechsler was a member of the quartet and devoted himself to classical music. 2001 saw the release of a new adaptation of Franz Schubert’s song cycle “Die Winterreise” by the group, which was entiteled “Nebensonnen”. Ulrich Drechsler shares a strong connection with Thelonious Monk’s music. The Monk In All Of Us, which he formed, was committed to the interpretation of the great jazz historian. The group features a diverse lineup of bass-/contrabass clarinets, trumpet, double basses, and drums. They travel on uncharted paths through the great pianist’s compositions. The Hans Koller Award 2005 nomination has been made for their debut album, “The Monk in All of Us”. Ulrich Drechsler’s debut as a band leader was the Ulrich Drechsler quartet, which he founded in 2005. Ulrich Drechsler was able to present his original compositions with this amazing group that included long-time friends Oliver Steger, Jorg Mikula, and Tord Gustavsen (a norwegian pianist). Tord Gustavsen was his partner, absorbing his ideas in a perfect way and processing them in his unique, unmistakeable way. “Humans” is his debut album.
