Vita - Heinz von Hermann

saxophones, clarinets and flutes / composer and arranger / teacher

Heinz von Hermann was born in 1936 in Vienna/Austria into a very musical family. His grandfather Albert Ritter von Hermann was a conductor and music journalist. One of his sisters was Tona von Hermann, an international well known vocal teacher and the other one was composer andProfessor at the Vienna Konservatory, a student of Alexander Zemlinsky. Heinz learned violin at the age of eight, and played until the age of eighteen the whole classical repertoire, not only the violin literature but as well a lot of non violin literature, partially self transskribed.  He undertook his first approach to jazz at seventeen. His desire to learn saxophone finally came true after some detours on guitar, valvetrombone and bass, mainly caused by the absence of financial resources. 
After graduation he started to study electronics and therefor could only take a few clarinet lessons as guest student from Professor Vlach, but later on he took a few clarinet lessons with Fatty George (a famous Viennise Jazz clarinetist), learned all other instruments autodidactically. He began to play in different jazz clubs in Vienna and won first prize in the Friedrich Gulda Youth Competition as the best young jazz saxophonist of 1958 - on baritone saxophone. In the late fifties he went to Germany with the legendary Uzi Förster Band, and was on the road from that time on. When the Uzi Förster Band returned to Vienna, Heinz von Hermann remained in Germany and played at the few existing jazz clubs and later in the American clubs with the Herman Wilson band from Jamaica, imcluding Sammy Walker, Werner Giertz, hartwig Bartz and Joop Christoffer. 1961 he was already working with the Peter Herbolzheimer Band in an American club in Libya, North Africa, and later with the Gerry Hayes Band in the Netherlands and again in North Africa for two years. He spent half a year in France, and then four years in Spain. He worked there for two years leading the house band in the famous Madrid jazz club "Whiskey & Jazz" with such guest stars as Tete Montoliu, Lee Konitz, Donald Byrd, Booker Ervin and Billy Brooks. Several radio and movie scores, and other recording sessions were undertaken in Madrid. He also led the band for Donna Hightower on concert tours in Spain.
After spending a half year in Italy he returned to Germany in 1968 to work with the Max Greger TV Big Band, simultaneously performing as a member of the Bavarian Radio Jazz Combo, playing with Joe Haider, Benny Bailey, Frank St. Peter, Mal Waldron and Rudi Fuesers. Later in this period he had his own quartet with Joe Harris, Jimmy Woode and Mike Thatcher. He also played in Dusko Goykovich's Munich Big Band and his Quintet, and undertook countless recordings of all kinds in the Munich studios. He was on tour in Germany, Austria and Italy with Maynard Ferguson.
Paul Kuhn called him to Berlin in 1971 for his Radio Big Band (SFB Big Band) as a permanent soloist and band member. In Berlin he formed a quintet with Carmell Jones, and some other small groups that included Åke Persson and Leo Wright. He played in Berlin with the Slide Hampton Super Band and was a soloist in several other radio big bands and TV shows. Since then he was a permanent member of the Peter Herbolzheimer Big Band. Later in the seventies he formed his trio with Hans Rettenbacher and Ronnie Stephenson, and in the early seventies he founded the band "Candombe" together with Wilson de Oliveira. In the eighties, after the demise of the SFB Radio Big Band, he worked as a freelance musician with Barry Ross' Swingmachine and formed the Berlin  Salsa Band "Salsanco." He worked a great deal in duet with Walter Norris and recorded the CD "Second Trio" with him and Mads Vinding. He continued to record as a soloist for the German radio and TV stations. Was a steadily featured soloist in the 3 SAT TV show "Swing and Talk" with Horst Jankowski.
Being member of many different Bigbands he played with most of the big stars in showbusiness as the Four Freshmen, Catarina Valente, Bill Ramsey, Marianne Mendt, Joe Williams, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Bassey (3 tours), Jose Feliciano, Wencke Myhre, Bert Kaempfert (several tours and recordings), Sammy Davis jr., Henry Mancini, Victor Borge, Paul Anka, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin, Udo Lindenberg and many others. On occasion of the Berlin Jazzfest the two Radio stations RIAS and SFB formed a "dreamband" consisting of some of the musicians of their bigbands. In this band he played with Oliver Nelson and Gil Evans. In between there were some tours with Maynard Ferguson again and Lionel Hampton. Also played in Slide Hamptons "Superband" and led a quintet with Rolf Ericson, Walter Norris, Roman Dylang and Ronnie Stephenson. For certan productions he was leading the NDR-Bigband (Hamburg) and the <RIAS-Bigband (Berlin). also did quit few record sessions and concerts with Bert Kaempfert. As a freelance musician he worked for several radio stations in Germany as soloist, arranger and bandleader.
After 1991, following his return to Austria, he began teaching at the Klagenfurt Conservatory of Music and he formed another trio with Erich Bachträgl and Uli Langthaler, then 1996 the JazzAhead Quintett with Andy Haderer and Bruno Castellucci. Since 2001 several concert tours with the "JazzAhead Chamber Jazz Trio" with Erwin Schmidt and Uli Langthaler. By the end of 2004 the "Straight Six" sextet was founded and several concert tours were made. In Vienna he formed 2007 the Heinz von Hermann Swingtet, 2010 a quartet including Fritz Pauer, Johannes Strasser and Joris Dudli, 2011 the Salsa-Funk-Jazz Band JazzAhead picante und 2014 "Four very saxy brothers". 2014 he started the project "Standard Time" and 2017 the "Five Brothers". 2017 and 2018 Soloist and leader of the RTV-Bigband Radio Belgrade.
2023 received the "Ehrenkreuz der Republik Österreich für Wissenschaft und Kunst"

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PERFORMANCES AS SIDEMAN/SOLOIST

Small Bands:
Joe Tauscher, Herbert Fahringer, Uzi Förster (with Rudi Wilfer, Hans Rettenbacher, Karl Prosenik, with Werner Giertz) Herman Wilson (with Sammy Walker, Hartwig Bartz), Peter Herbolzheimer (Sextet 1961), Gerry Hayes (with Jan Huydts, Robby Langereijs, Frans Elsen, Karl Barthelmes), Kai Rautenberg (with Alfons Bleses, Victor Kaihatu), Mano Negra, Donna Hightower, Fred Henderson, Dusko Goykovic, Charlie Antolini, Joe Haider, Salsanco, Connection Latina, Johannes Faber, Jörg Reiter, Erich Kleinschuster Sextet (with Claudio Roditi), Jazzcombo des Bayr. Rundfunks (Joe Haider, Mal Waldron, Benny Bailey, Frank St. Peter, Makaia Ntshokho, Rudi Fuesers, and many others), Albert Mair & Jimmy U Quintet, Elly Wright Band, Art Farmer - Robert Pollitzer Nonet, Manfred Josel, Manfred Stern, Heinz Czadek - Leo Wright Memorial Band, Lady P. and Friends, Herbart Sattler Quartet, Johnny Schütten, Gale Anderson, David Gazarov, Petra Linecker, Sandra Rose Band and many others. 2020 again with Joe Haider Sextett. May 2023: Received the "Ehrenkreuz der Republik Österreich für Wissenschaft und Kunst".

Big Bands:
Pepe Nieto Big Band (Madrid), Max Greger (Munich ZDF), Dusko Goykovic's Munich Big Band, Gil Evans (Berlin Dream Band), Maynard Ferguson (2 tours), Lionel Hampton (1 tour), SFB Big Band with Paul Kuhn (10 years - numerous TV shows), Slide Hampton's Superband, Peter Herbolzheimer RCB (30 years! - numerous TV shows), Barry Ross' Swingmachine, HR Big Band, NDR Big Band, RIAS Big Band (numerous TV shows), Cologne Concert Big Band (Jerry van Rooyen), RIAS Bigband, Bert Kaempfert Bigband, RTV Big Band Radio Ljubljana, OyOyOy Bigband Salzburg, Dusko Gojkovic International All Star Bigband, Wine and Roses Swingorchestra (München), Ferry Ilg Bigband (FIBB), Teddy Ehrenreich Bigband (Wien), Manfred Stoppacher Bigband (Wien), Bigband Gmünd, RTV-Bigband Radio Belgrade, Don Menza Bigband

Radio & TV:
Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Caterina Valente, Bill Ramsey, Marianne Mendt, Joe Williams, Dianne Warwick, Shirley Bassey, Jose Feliciano, Wencke Myhre, Sammy Davis Jr., Henry Mancini, Victor Borge, Paul Anka, Ray Charles, Bert Kaempfert, Al Jarreau, Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin, New York Voices, Judy Niemack and many others.

SFB "Paul's Party", ZDF "Jazzclub", 3 SAT "Swing & Talk", SWF "Ohne Filter", WDR "Bio's Bahnhof", "Bei Bio", Jazz shows at RTV Belgrade with Milo Pavlovic and with the RTV Bigband Ljubljana and many others.

Studio Works:
As many as a couple of thousand titles since 1966, recorded at all major studios in Madrid, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover, Vienna.


PERFORMANCES AS BANDLEADER

Combos:
1960 Quartet with: Werner Giertz, Hartwig Bartz, Joop Christoffer
1963-66 Houseband at the Jazzclub in Madrid "Whisky & Jazz" with Tete Montoliu, Booker Ervin, Lee Konitz, Billy   Brooks, Donald Byrd a.o.
1970 (in Munich) Quartett with: Mike Thatcher, Jimmy Woode, Joe Harris
1972 (in Berlin) various Quintets/Sextets with: Carmell Jones, Ake Persson, Leo Wright
1975 Trio with Hans Rettenbacher & Ronnie Stephenson
1979 Quintett with: Rolf Ericson, Walter Norris, Roman Dylag, Ronnie Stephenson
1989 "2nd Trio" with Walter Norris & Mads Vinding
1994 (back in Austria) Trio "JazzAhead" with Erich Bachträgl & Uli Langthaler
1996 "JazzAhead" Quintett with Andy Haderer, Bruno Castellucci, Erwin Schmidt u. Uli Langthaler, amongst others in this band also played Judy Niemack, Karl Ratzer, Christian Havel, Joris Dudli, Walther Grassmann, Joschi Schneeberger, Aaron Wonesch, Silvia Droste, Mario Gonzi, Ines Reiger, Christian Salfellner
2004 with the Nené Trio in Sao Paulo and Brasilia (BRA)
2005 with the Bruno Castellucci Trio featuring Roger van Haaverbeeck and Johan Clement
2005 "Straight Six" with Dusko Goykovic, Adrian Mears / Joe Gallardo, Mads Vinding / Marc Abrams, Joerg Reiter and Bruno Castellucci
2007 "Swingtet"
2008 Coproduktion mit "ETNA" Munich
2011 "JazzAhead picante"
2014 "Four very saxy brothers"
2016 "Standard Time"
2017 "Five Brothers"

Bigbands:
NDR Big Band, RIAS Big Band, RTV Big Band Radio Ljubljana (TV show), Berliner Landesjugendjazzorchester (BJJO), Bigband of the Conservatory Klagenfurt, Franz Kirchner Bigband (with Paul Kuhn), OyOyOy Big Band Salzburg, Bigband Jazzcamp Kranj, Ferry Ilg Bigband, Wine and Roses Swingorchestra, Krsko Bigband, Bigband der Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, Pittwater High School Symphony Band (AUS), 80th Birthday Bogband Jazzland Wien (2016), RTV-Bigband Radio Belgrade

He worked within most of the above-mentioned bands as well as an arranger and composer.

For more details see discography.

TEACHING
Heinz von Hermann taught classical saxophone at the "Berliner Hochschuler der Künste" from 1972 and also worked with a great number of young musicians in workshops and seminars in and around the city. He was teaching in the initial period of the german "Bujazzo" and founded the "Berlin Youth Jazz Orchestra" during this period. He undertook a great many big band and saxophone workshops and concerts with young musicians in Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Romania, Mexico, Hanoi.....
After his return to Austria 1991 has was teaching at the Klagenfurt Conservatory Department of Jazz, where later on he was the head of the department until 2002.
From 2008 till 2013 again teaching at the "Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien" - working with the Bigband.

He has been a member of GEMA (the German Composers Association) since 1969 and AKM (Austrian Composers Ass.) since 1996. Also member of the German Arrangers Association and Berlin Composers Ass.

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