Daniel Pezzotti

known as one of Europe’s most creative cellists, was born in 1962 in Zurich (Switzerland) and began his musical studies at the age of five. Completing his studies with Professor Claude Starck in 1981, he graduated „summa cum laude“ from the Zurich Music Conservatory.

Since then, Pezzotti has built up a brilliant career as a soloist and as a member of various chamber music and jazz ensembles. Chamber music concerts have led him throughout Europe, Asia, USA, Canada and South America. Pezzotti has also participated in many international music festivals such as: „Warschauer Herbst“ (Poland), „Int. Festival Cervantino“ (Mexico), „Zürcher Junifestwochen“ (Switzerland), “Santander Int. Music Festival“ (Spain) „Performing Arts Festival of Ouro Preto“ , „International Music Festival of Rio de Janeiro’s Federal University – UFRJ“ (Brazil) and the New Directions Cellofestival in NY (USA).

As a member and founder of the „Palladio-Ensemble“ (inspired by exploring and revealing the profound relation between sound and performing environment) and the „Arara Trio“ (created to promote Brazilian music composers), he has toured extensively and has been invited to perform at many renowned music „temples“ such as: Carnegie Hall (New York), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Royal Festival Hall and Barbican Center (London), Sala Cecília Meireles (Rio de Janeiro), Teatro Amazonas (Manaus), Philharmonie (Berlin and Cologne) and Tonhalle (Zurich).

Pezzotti’s enormous versatility brought him to the international jazz scene. One is aware of Pezzotti’s flexibility as a musician in jazz productions with Lee Konitz, Steve Swallow, Lew Soloff, Ray Anderson, Ted Rosenthal, Mike Mossmann, Vladislav Sendecki, Michael Formanek, Tom Harrell, Franco Ambrosetti, Wagner Tiso, Guinga and from his performances at jazz festivals in Den Haag (NorthSea), Berlin, St. Petersburg (“Sound Ways”), Vienna („Incident in Jazz“), Montreux, Schaffhausen, Zurich (“Jazznojazz”) and Mulhouse.

Member of the „Stephan Kurmann Strings“ since 1988, Daniel Pezzotti is featured also on several recordings with the harpist Andreas Vollenweider. After meeting Brazil’s jazz genius Hermeto Pascoal in 1992, he was invited by Pascoal to play with his group on an extended tour with performances in Brazil, Italy, France and Switzerland, followed by intense concert activites in duo with Saxophonist Carlos Malta and pianist/keyboarder Jovino Santos Neto.

Pezzotti performes with the classical groups “ensemble Kontraste”, the piano trio “Il Trittico” and “Ensemble Zero”. He frequently appears with several jazz and crossover projects such as “ClassXXX” (Schnyder-Breinschmid-Dobler-Pezzotti), Thierry Lang’s LYOBA, “The New Trio” (Wehinger-Pezzotti-Wiesendanger), “The Tango Trio” (Rivano-Sinesi-Pezzotti), “Who’s the Bossa” (Nosso Trio feat. Josee Koning, Hans Vroomans and Daniel Pezzotti), the “Emil Viklicky Trio” (feat. Franco Ambrosetti and Daniel Pezzotti) and the Ademir Candido Quartet (feat. Daniel Pezzotti, Stephan Kurmann and Julio Barreto).

In addition, he is member of the „Zurich Opera Orchestra“, appears as solo-cellist of the baroque orchestra “La Scintilla” (touring with Cecilia Bartoli) and teaches jazzcello at the Zurich University of Arts (ZHdK).

Daniel Pezzotti performs on a beautiful sonorous instrument made by William Forster II (1793), on a Benjamin Banks baroque cello, as well as on a custom-made, 5-string electric cello.

Pezzotti has recorded over 120 CDs for the labels EMI/BlueNote, BMG Ariola, Decca, Koch Schwann, Enja, ACT Music, TCB, DIVOX, Colomba, Arte Nova and Leblon Records.