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Sebastian Schunke was born in 1973 and began learning classical piano when he was six. His main influences in the early stages were Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin and Debussy. At the age of 12 he began studying Latin jazz as well, being influenced initially by Eddie Palmieri and later by Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Chick Corea and Danilo Perez. In 1996 aged 22 Sebastian Schunke made the move to New York, It was a special challenge for Schunke as an European to not only come to grips with the rhythmics of Latin America but also to avoid following them in a traditional manner and instead to let them transform into a new groove in irregular measures, while at the same time colouring them with the influence of his European roots, so enabling, along with native New Yorkers and European and Latin American musicians, something new and original to emerge. Sebastian dived into the New York Latin Jazz scene and studied with Garry Dial, Manhattan School of Music, Sonny Bravo, Hilton Ruiz and Alan Gampel. His compositions caught the attention of renowned musicians like John Benitez, Antonio Sanchez, Richie Flores, Dafnis Prieto, Yosvany Terry and Peter Brainin, with whom he recorded his debut CD “Symbiosis” (Timba /Edel 2002).
In 2000 Sebastian moved to Berlin, where he finished his Jazz studies at the Conservatory of Music “Hanns Eisler”. Electronic and singing Elements as well as strings getting embodied in the musical concept and lead to the recording of the second CD “Mouvement“ in 2004 (Timba/Edel) with a large orchestral ensemble. In 2007 he released the CD “Sebastian Schunke meets Olvido” – Vida Pura (Timba/Edel). On this two recordings Sebastian brings together international renown Latin Jazz musicians living in Berlin, Paris, New York and Cuba. They unify the intense energy from their home cultures to create a complete new song concept in a Latin Jazz environment. In 2008 Sebastian went back to New York recording his new CD “Back in New York” with 9 time Grammy Award Winner Paquito d´Rivera and an All Star Band – leading the music to a new hip expression.
Since 2002 the Sebastian Schunke Group tours the world unifying world renown jazz performing artists from New York, Havana, Berlin and Paris as for example Felipe Cabrera, Lukmil Perez, Mario Morejon “El Indio”, Peter Brainin, Anders Nilsson, Dan Freeman, Michael Haves, Olvido Ruiz, Ken Filiano or Nene Vasquez.
He performed with his projects on several international Festivals and Clubs in Colombia, Venezuela, China, Laos, Malta, Turkey, Luxemburg, Germany and the USA. In 2004 he accompanied the German President Köhler to Africa as the official German Cultural Embassador.
In 2004, 2006 and 2008 Sebastian won the Berlin Jazz Award. Sebastian is the first European Musician who has developped his own international acclaimed EuroLatin Stile and he is already named together with Latin-Jazz Giants as Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Michel Camilo. His compositions are changing he keeps his music fresh, so coming from his own Latin Stile he nowadays leads the music to a hip experimental world jazz – totally new and unpredictable.

CDs Sebastian Schunke Group
Sebastian Schunke Euro Latin Progression „Symbiosis“ (Timba 2003)
Sebastian Schunke Orchestral Expression „Mouvement“ (Timba 2005)
Sebastian Schunke meets Olvido „Vida Pura“ (Timba 2007)
Sebastian Schunke featuring Paquito „Back in New York“ (Timba Octobre 2008)

Festival Appearance as a Bandleader (selection)
Jazz al Parque, Bogotá, Colombia (2003), International Jazz Festival Manizales, Kolombia (2003, 2006), International Jazz Festival Calí, Columbia (2007), Jazz Festival Bucaramanga, Colombia (2003) International Piano Festival Bucaramanga (2006), International Piano Festival Barrancamerbeja, (2006); Jazz Festival Caracas (2003), Goethe-Institut Caracas (2003, 2006), German Embassy, Bogotá, Colombia (2006), Universidad Nacional Bogotá,(2003); Italian Culture Institut Etiopia, Africa (2004), French Culture Institut, Benin, Africa (2004), German Consulate Benin, Africa: Concert for the German President (2004), Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou, China (2005), German Consulate, Guangzhou, China (2005, 2006, 2007), JZ Club, Shanghai (2005, 2006), True Colors Jazz Club, Shenzhen (2005, 2006), German Consulate, Shanghai (2006, 2007), Blue Nites Festival, Berlin (2005), Kemptener Jazzfrühling, Germany (2003), APC-Summer Festival, Kempten (2005), Symphonie Hall, Istanbul, Turkey (2003), European Week Cartagena, Colombia (2007), Masala Weltbeat Festival, Hannover (2005), German Embassy Vientiane, Laos (2008); Concerthall Vientiane, Laos

Jazz studies and studies in composition
Manhattan School of Music, New York; Conservatory of Music “Hanns Eisler”, Berlin; Garry Dial, Sonny Bravo, Hilton Ruiz, Alan Gampel, Prof. Köhler; Prof. Jiggs Whigham, Kurt Klose, Brunhilde Kolb. download bio

SEBASTIAN SCHUNKE - BACK IN NEW YORK (2008)

Sebastian Schunke - composition, piano

Paquito de Rivera - clarinet

John Benitez - bass

Antonio Sanchez - drums

Pernell Saturnino - percussion

Anders Nilsson - guitar

review by Paul J. Youngman

review by Fabrizio Ciccarelli

review by Raul d'Gama Rose

Oma Mutti

One for Emma

Susanne

Vida Pura

Song for Antje

Be Honest

Hombre Tinto

more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels

SEBASTIAN SCHUNKE - VIDA PURA (2007)

a great vision of how latin jazz is going to sound in the future...

Sebastian Schunke - piano, composition (Berlin)

Olvido Ruiz - vocals (havana)

Felipe Cabrera - bass

Chris Dahlgreen - bass

Michael Haves - bass

Lukmil Perez - drums

Philipp Bernhard - drums

Mario Morejon Hernandez "El Indio"  - trumpet

 Dan Freeman - sax

review by Paul J. Youngman

review by Fabrizio Ciccarelli

review by Roberto Carlos Lujan

more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels

SEBASTIAN SCHUNKE - MOUVEMENT (2004)

Sebastian Schunke Piano, musical director, background vocals
Felipe Cabrera Cardenas Bass, background vocals
Lukmil Perez Herrera Drums, background vocals
Orlando Poleo Congas, small percusion, background vocals
Anders Nilsson Electric guitar, background vocals
Mario Morejon Hernandez "El Indio" Trumpet, background vocals
Peter Brainin Tenor & soprano sax, flute, background vocals
Michael Haves Electronics on 2/5/6
Olvido Ruiz Castellanos Vocals
Yodfat Miron Viola
Johannes Hentschel Cello

review by Paul J. Youngman

review by Peter Watrous

Mouvement

Abschied

Monk 2 Niyo

Herbst

Zwiespalt

Reminders

more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels

SEBASTIAN SCHUNKE - SYMBIOSIS (2002)