Manu Delago

Manu Delago (born 31 July 1984) is an Austrian musician and composer.

Biography

Delago was born in Innsbruck, Tyrol, and took music lessons as a child in accordion and piano. As a teenager he mainly played drums for various rock bands. In 2003 he picked up the Hang, which gradually turned into one of his main musical instruments.

After graduating from the Mozarteum, Innsbruck, in classical percussion, Delago moved to London and studied jazz drums at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, beginning his focus on the Swiss instrument, Hang. Later he studied composition at the Trinity College of Music in London. After completing his studies, he worked as a composer, ensemble leader and musician. Since 2007 he has performed internationally including at the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Barbican in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Sydney Opera House and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

Career Between 2000 and 2007 Delago was working as live and studio drummer for various Austrian bands such as HotchPotch, Zabine, Michael Tschuggnall, Nadine Beiler, Bluatschink and more.

In 2006, after playing together in different bands, Delago and Christoph Pepe Auer founded the first Hang and Bass Clarinet duo in the world called Living Room. The duo has released two albums and a YouTube series called Hang & Bass Clarinet Megahits. He also regularly tours with his own Manu Delago Handmade and 'Manu Delago Ensemble'.

He appeared as a soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra strings, Britten Sinfonia, Metropol Orkest, Aurora Orchestra, Münchner Kammerorchester, Züricher Kammerorchester and various other orchestras. His solo piece Mono Desire was listed in the Top30 best-rated music videos on YouTube.

Delago has featured as percussionist and hang player for several of Björk's shows, starting with the Biophilia tour up until the Cornucopia performances. He also performed percussion with The Cinematic Orchestra from 2014-2016 and with Ólafur Arnalds in 2018.

He was a composer, musician and assistant engineer for Anoushka Shankar's 2016 album Land of Gold. He also accompanied her on her world tour. Together with the Metropol Orkest they recorded the album 'Between us' which was nominated for a 'Best Global Album' Grammy award.

In 2018 Delago released Parasol Peak – an album and film in which Manu Delago leads an ensemble of seven musicians on a mountaineering expedition in the Alps.

Discography

Albums 2024 – Manu Delago – Snow from Yesterday 2021 – Manu Delago – Environ Me 2020 – Manu Delago – Circadian Live 2019 – Manu Delago – Circadian 2018 – Manu Delago – Parasol Peak 2018 – Manu Delago – Metromonk Unplugged EP 2017 – Manu Delago – Metromonk 2015 – Manu Delago – Silver Kobalt 2013 – Manu Delago – Bigger Than Home 2012 – Manu Delago & London Symphony Orchestra strings – Manuscripts 2010 – Living Room (Christoph Pepe Auer & Manu Delago) – Colouring Book 2010 – Manu Delago – Made in Silence 2 2008 – Manu Delago – Adventions 2007 – Manu Delago – Handmade 2007 – Christoph Pepe Auer & Manu Delago – Living Room 2006 – Manu Delago – Made in Silence

Features 2016 – Land of Gold – Anoushka Shankar 2016 – Vulnicura live – Björk 2016 – Land of Gold – Anoushka Shankar 2015 – Why don't you – Joss Stone 2013 – A long way – Andreya Triana 2013 – Traces of You – Anoushka Shankar 2011 – Virus – Björk 2009 – Nothing is something worth doing – Shpongle 2009 – Live in Concert – Shpongle (DVD) 2008 – Arigato – Boris Grebenshchikov

Further compositions

2015 – Newton's Rainbow (hang, sarod & string orchestra) 2014 – Secret Corridor (hang, electronics & string quartet) 2012 – Concertino Grosso (hang & string orchestra) 2012 – CHS (hang & female choir in six parts) 2011 – Chaos_Equalibrium (string quartet & dance) 2010 – Why does one hide from six? (Würfelspiel für gemischtes Ensemble – dice game for a mixed ensemble) 2009 – Pencilphonie No. 1 in Hb2 (a self-portrait for pencil, eraser & sharpener) 2009 – 5 ft 12 (Marimba solo) 2009 – Los Cepillos de Dientes (music for 2 acoustic toothbrushes) 2007 – If you’re really right, will be proved by the light (3 players on 2 marimbas)