Jonas Kocher

Jonas Kocher is a musician and composer born in Nyon (Switzerland) in 1977. He has been based in Biel/Bienne since the late 1990s.

Biography Composer and accordionist Jonas Kocher followed his musical studies at the University of the Arts in Bern, between 1996 and 2004 with Teodoro Anzellotti, Pierre Sublet and Georges Aperghis. He soon developed a keen interest in experimental practices in sound and performance, which led him to explore musical theater as a performer in productions by Ruedy Häusermann and Daniel Ott and electronic music in the BlindeKinder duo. Since 2003 he has been creating his own pieces of composed theatre, various sound performances and he also dedicates himself to composition and free improvisation. Starting from 2006 and for a few years, he has worked closely with Association Rue du Nord (Lausanne).

Since 2008, he has performed as accordionist with regular partners such as Jacques Demierre, Axel Dörner, Joke Lanz, Christian Wolfarth, Gaudenz Badrutt, Michel Doneda, Chris Heenan, Christof Kurzmann, Alfredo Costa Monteiro (in the accordion trio 300 basses with Luca Venitucci), Leonel Kaplan, Hans Koch, Burkhard Beins, Radu Malfatti, Ilan Manouach, Andy Guhl and many others. His musical activity has led him to perform throughout Europe and in Russia, Japan, and the USA and to collaborate with dancers and visual artists.

As interpreter, he has collaborated with musicians and composers such as Christian Kesten, Stefan Thut, Antoine Chessex, Chiyoko Szlavnics, and Radu Malfatti. If his practice of improvisation seems to contrast with his parallel interest in composition and sound performance, it is only because the creative dimension of these areas is not taken into account in its entirety; this is an area where Jonas Kocher sees a field of privileged artistic experimentation and where listening, sound and space are constantly explored.

As a composer, he has produced works that range between composed theatre, installations and concert pieces. He has composed occasionally for audio drama, dance and theater.

In 2005 he received the Art award of the city of Nyon and in 2010 the prize of recognition of the music committee of the Canton of Berne. Award Winner of the Liechti Prize for the Arts 2020. His works have been performed at Biennale Bern 2010, Musikfestival Bern 2017 and 2018, Umlaut festival Berlin, Festival Jardins Musicaux, The Forge London, Zagreb Biennale, SMC Lausanne, Thessaloniki Art Biennale, IGNM Zürich, IGNM Basel, etc.

Works 2025: Pairing for five performeurs - Maulwerker, Berlin, DE 2024: Things in Common for duo - Eva-Maria Karbacher & Dimos Vryzas, Biel/Bienne, CH 2023: Diffraction (co-composition with Jacques Demierre, & Axel Dörner), for ensemble - GGRIL & DDK Trio, Rimouski, CA 2023: Interstices / Interferences (co-composition with Gaudenz Badrutt), for ensemble - Šalter Ensemble, Venezia Mestre, IT 2021: All Them Takes, for five amplified musicians - Puts Marie, Zurich, CH 2019: Perspectives and Echoes, for 6 players (percussion, live electronics and four instruments - Ensemble Studio6 Belgrade, Subotica, RS 2018: Avec Bataille, performance for 7 performers and one improvising musician - La Marmite, Geneva, CH 2018: HOME (Münstergasse 37), in situ sound performance for 4 musicians and 2 actors - Aabat Ensemble Bern, Bern, CH 2017: Irrlicht, for loudspeakers and four performers in a resonant space - Ginger Ensemble, Bern, CH 2017: Rough, for 10 musicians - Ensemble Phoenix Basel, Basel, CH 2015: hálos, for harp solo 2015: Intervention No. 2 [pasquart], in situ sound performance, Biel/Bienne, CH 2015: Intervention No. 1 [cave12], in situ sound performance, Geneva, CH 2013: Hornussen, in situ sound performance - Festival Rümlingen, Emmental, CH 2013: Nichi Nichi Kore Ko Nichi, sound performance, Biel/Bienne, CH 2012: Commedia, for piano, clarinet, violin, cello and pre-recorded sounds - Mercury Quartet London, London, UK 2011: Agitations (Adagio), for small symphony orchestra (young interpreters) and pre-recorded sounds, Biel/Bienne, CH 2010: Frictions, musical theater, Zurich, CH 2010: Promenade à travers une œuvre, in situ sound performance, Bern, CH 2010: Grrrrr!!, for string quartet (young interpreters), Malleray-Bevilard, CH 2009: Serge, for ensemble - Compagnie CH.AU, Vevey, CH 2008: Trois ombres, for ensemble (three pieces intended to be played with Schönberg's Pierrot Lunaire) - Szene und Musik, Zurich, CH 2006: Vallon de l'Ermitage, in situ sound performance, Neuchâtel, CH 2005: Dubbing & Naturjutz, for ensemble - Compagnie CH.AU, Vevey, CH 2005: Harmonie mit schräger Dämpfung und Sopranbimbo, for ensemble - Ensemble Paul Klee, Bern, CH 2004: Play Along, for tenor saxophone and pre-recorded sounds - Laurent Estoppey, Vevey, CH 2004: Kopf hoch! for 4 performers and 5 tape recorders, Luzern, CH 2004: Les Adieux, in situ sound performance / musical theater, Biel/Bienne, CH 2003: Bianca K., musical theater, Bern, CH

Discography 2026 : Critical Values with Tiziana Bertoncini & Thomas Lehn, CD/Bruit 2025 : Diffraction DDK Trio + Le GGRIL, CD/Circum-Disc 2025 : Šablona with Tepih, CD/Sploh-Bruit 2025 : Archipelago CD/Bruit 2024 : Tri dela with Šalter Ensemble, CD/Sploh-Bruit 2023 : A Right to Silence with DDK Trio (Jacques Demierre and Axel Dörner), 3CD's box/Meenna-Ftarri 2022 : Stranger Becoming with Hans Koch, Frantz Loriot, CD/Bruit 2022 : Baldrian Quartett with Gaudenz Badrutt, Kai Fagaschinski, Christof Kurzmann, CD/Bruit 2021 : Perspectives and Echoes // Tautologos III with -bRt- group for music creation, CD/Bruit 2021 : Štiri dela with Šalter Ensemble, CD/Sploh-Bruit 2020 : oto no kage with Radu Malfatti, Klaus Filip & Christian Kobi, CD-r/b-boim records 2020 : Archytas Curve with Hans Koch & Gaudenz Badrutt, EP/Wide Ear Records 2020 : Abstract Musette with Joke Lanz, LP/Corvo Records 2020 : Flatwise Huddle with Gaudenz Badrutt & Andy Guhl e.o. LP/Edizioni Periferia 2018 : Cone of Confusion with Jacques Demierre and Axel Dörner, CD/Bruit 2017 : Spoon Bridge, with Michel Doneda & Christian Wolfarth, digital download/Bandcamp 2017 : Chiyoko Szlavnics ‘During a Lifetime, with Apartment House, Konus Quartet, Hannes Lingens, CD/Another Timbre 2017 : HumaNoise Tutti , with Erel, Kakaliagou, Marshall, Marwedel, Nabicht, Phillipp, Rodrigues, Schliemann, Souchal, CD/Creative Sources 2016 : Jonas Kocher plays Christian Kesten & Stefan Thut, CD/Bruit 2016 : Floating piece of space with Jacques Demierre and Axel Dörner, LP/label cave12 2016 : Kocher-Manouach-Papageorgiou, CD/Bruit 2015 : Tria Atoma, 300 Basses (Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Jonas Kocher et Luca Venitucci), CD/Moving Furniture Records 2015 : Rotonda with Gaudenz Badrutt and Ilia Belorukov, CD/Intonema 2015 : Koch-Kocher-Badrutt with Hans Koch and Gaudenz Badrutt, CD/Bruit 2015 : Skeleton Drafts with Ilan Manouach, CD/BRUIT-Romvos 2014 : Cinéma Rex with Gaudenz Badrutt, free download/Insubordination 2013 : Le Belvédère du Rayon Vert with Michel Doneda, CD/Flexion records 2013 : Öcca with Jacques Demierre, Cyril Bondy and D'Incise, LP/Bocian records 2012 : Sei Ritornelli, 300 Basses (Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Jonas Kocher and Lucas Venitucci), CD/Potlatch 2012 : Strategy of behaviour in unexpected situations, with Gaudenz Badrutt, CD free download/Insubordination 2012 : Duos 2011 with H. Koch, P. Bosshard, G. Badrutt, C. Wolfarth, C. Schiller, U. Leimgruber, C. Müller, CD/Flexion records 2012 2012 : archive #1, with Insub meta orchestra, CD and free download/Insubordination 2012 : D'Incise-Henning-Kocher-Sciss, CD-r and free download/Insubordination 2011 : Udarnik with Michel Doneda, Tomaz Grom and Tao G.V. Sambolec, CD/L'Innomable 2011 : Action mécanique with Michel Doneda, CD/Flexion records 2011 : Solo, CD and free download/Insubordination 2011 : ///grape skin with Michel Doneda and Christophe Schiller, CD/Another Timbre 2009 : Materials, CD/Creative Sources 2009 : Live at St-Gervais, Ensemble Rue du Nord, CD-r and free download/Insubordination 2009 : Müküs with Morgane Gallay, Lionel Gafner, Lucien Dubuis, Vincent Membrez and Fred Bürki, CD/Veto records 2009 : Blank Disc w/Jonas Kocher with Srdjan Muc and Robert Roza, CD-r 2006 : BlindeKinder [helfen bauen] with Raphael Raccuia, CD/Everest records