Zoran Schmitz Trio

At the centre of the trio is internationally acclaimed Hammond organist Renato Chicco. Born in Trieste, Chicco studied jazz at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and at Berklee College of Music in Boston. During his years in New York, he was a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and worked closely with legendary vocalist Jon Hendricks. He has shared the stage with some of the great names in jazz, including Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson and Gary Burton, and has recorded on more than 50 albums. Today, Chicco is a professor of jazz improvisation at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and continues to perform internationally. His powerful Hammond sound and deep sense of swing provide the perfect foundation for this trio.

Joining him on guitar is Zoran Schmitz, a versatile guitarist whose playing brings together the spirit of Gypsy Jazz, Balkan musical traditions and modern jazz. A graduate of the Jazz Guitar programme at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Schmitz is the founder and leader of the Zoran Schmitz Trio and a member of several Gypsy Jazz ensembles. He also performed with a Emmy nominated american vocalist Sy Smith. His debut album Following Django reflects his fascination with the tradition of Django Reinhardt while adding his own voice.

Completing the trio is Andreas Reisenhofer, one of the active voices of the younger Austrian jazz scene. Raised in a family of musicians in Styria, he began performing on drums at the age of eleven, initially playing pop, rock and gospel before discovering jazz. He went on to complete both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in jazz drumming in Graz and has since performed and recorded with numerous international and Austrian artists, including Dena DeRose, Jim Rotondi and, of course, Renato Chicco. His sensitive yet energetic drumming gives the trio its dynamic drive and keeps the music moving between tradition and contemporary jazz.