Hauschka

For other uses, see Hauschka (disambiguation).

Hauschka
Hauschka live at The Sugar Club Dublin (2009)
Background information
Birth name	Volker Bertelmann
Origin	Germany
Genres	Electronic music, avant-garde
Occupations	Musician, Composer
Instruments	Piano
Labels	FatCat Records
Associated acts	Music AM, Tonetraeger
Website	www.hauschka-net.de
Notable instruments
Prepared Piano

Hauschka (born 1966) is the alias of Düsseldorf-based pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann.

Background

Hauschka, born Volker Bertelmann, first began to study the piano when he was nine years old after attending a Chopin performance in his hometown near Düsseldorf, Germany. After seven years of classical training at school, and then a further two years with a private tutor, he found his interest in classical music to be waning. After turning 18, he redirected his attention towards an education in medicine and economics, but soon abandoned those pursuits in favor of studying pop music in Hamburg.

By this time, Bertelmann had already composed his first film score, and having picked up a deal with Sony Music in 1994, he spent much of the next few years rapping and playing keyboards with God’s Favourite Dog before forming Nonex, with whom he released two albums in 1997 and 1999. After 2000, he joined with Torsten Mauss to form Tonetraeger and also with Luke Sutherland (Long Fin Killie) and Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot) to work under the name Music A.M.

During this period that he became more fascinated with electronic music, which eventually led him try achieving similar effects without the use of electricity at all. He soon began to make use of prepared pianos to emulate various other instruments.

Since then he has pursued numerous collaborations with musicians as well as composing several film scores.

Prepared Piano Preparation

When preparing for performances, it initially took Bertelmann two hours to set up his piano. He has since decreased preparation time to 10 minutes, due to the constraints of certain commercial venues.

Discography

Albums

• Substantial (2004)
• The prepared piano (2005)
• Room to Expand (2007)
• Versions of the Prepared Piano (2007)
• Ferndorf (2008)
• Snowflakes and Carwrecks (2008)
• Small Pieces (2009)
• Foreign Landscapes (2010)
• Salon Des Amateurs (2011)
• Silfra (2012)

External links

• www.hauschka-net.de
• MySpace: Hauschka
• FatCat: Hauschka
• 2010 NPR interview with Hauschka
• Interview with Hauschka on Headphone Commute (Jan, 2010)