Ingar Zach | 1971 | Oslo | Norway

Percussion

Norwegian improviser, percussionist begins his percussion training already at age 7 in the local schoolband in Oslo. During his teens he is active in the local jazz big band and also starts a progressive rock band at the age of 15.
From 1993-97 he finds a great interest in Norwegian folk music, and he plays drums/percussion in the successful groups; Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag and Harnihomba, which he tours with in both Europe and North America.
From 1993-94 he studies Musicology at the University in Oslo, Norway, and then moves to Trondheim in 1994 to start a three year study in jazz and composition at the Music Conservatory. Early 1997 he participates in an exchange program at the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm, Sweden. During his brief residency in Stockholm in 1997 he meets the drummer Raymond Strid and guitar player David Stackenäs. The meeting with these two musicians leeds to a great interest for improvisation. After finishing his three year studies in Trondheim he moves back to Oslo and works as a freelance musician in the field of jazz and improvisation.
In 1998 he meets the guitar player; Ivar Grydeland with whom he develops a close musical relationship. In 2000 he co-founds the record label; SOFA together with Grydeland, releasing improvised music, exclusively (producing 16 productions by the end of 2004). In 2003 he obtaines the degree Cand. Musicae, for recieving the master in Chamber Music together with fellow student; Ivar Grydeland at the Music Academy in Oslo, Norway. This is the first master ever given in Norway with only improvised music on the repertoire.
Ingar Zach is known for the wide range of sounds in his instrument. He plays his percussion in a very dynamic, but still energetic way. He uses homemade percussion, gongs and devises like; propellers, bows, sruti-box and tabla machine as parts of his extended drumkit. He is dedicated to improvised/contemporary music and is regularly touring and recording with his fixed ensembles, but also in different ad-hoc projects in Europe, Canada and USA.
He is invited to festivals in Norway (Ultima Contemporary music festival, Kongsberg Jazz festival, Molde Jazz Festival), Europe (Berlin Jazz festival, Densites-France, Parthenay Improvised Music Festival-France, Unijazz-Praha, Hurta Cordel-Madrid), USA and Canada (Seattle Improvised Music festival, Empty Bottle festival in Chicago, Time Flies in Vancouver) and Libanon (Irtijal-festival-Beirut).
Ingar Zach is currently working in fixed groups like; Ingar Zach/Ivar Grydeland(N) duo, No Spaghetti Edition(N), Derek Bailey(UK)/Ingar Zach duo, MINGI (w/Giuseppe Ielasi(ITA)- guitar/electronics, Michel Doneda(FRA) –saxophones), MUTA (w/ Rhodri Davies(UK)- harp, Alessandra Rombolá (ITA)- flutes), RHODRI DAVIES (UK)-harp and INGAR ZACH- percussion, JON BALKE/BATAGRAF and MAGNETIC NORTH ORCHESTRA and LOOPER (w/ Nikos Veliotis(GRE) -cello and Martin Küchen(SWE)- saxophones).
In addition to working with fixed groups he is also involved in ad-hoc activities with other musicians and composers such as; Eivind Buene (N), Øyvind Torvund (N), Christian Wallumrød (N), Jim O_Rourke(US), Barry Guy(UK), Evan Parker(UK), Axel Dörner(GER), Kevin Drumm(US), Thomas Lehn(GER), Johan Berthling(SWE), Raymond Strid(SWE), Fred Lonberg-Holm(US), Susie Ibarra(US), Jaap Blonk(NED), Mats Gustafsson(SWE), Annette Krebs(TYS), Andrea Neumann(TYS), Phil Minton(UK), Alex Ward(UK), Jean Marc Montera (FRA), Mark Wastell (ENG), Wade Matthews (US), Ernesto Rodrigues(POR), John Butcher (UK), Jerome Noetinger (FRA), Sharif Shenaoui (LIB) and Xavier Charles (FRA).
During his career as a performer he is recording and participating on more than 30 recordings, including his solo debut; Percussion Music (SOFA 516).