Trio Contraire
Harald Rutar and Radek Stawarz met and appreciated each other in Cologne. They have in common a lively connection to the classical and folkloristic traditions of their countries of origin, but also a joy in individual expression and musical playfulness. They are supported by bassist Paul G. Ulrich, who is undoubtedly one of the most virtuosic and well-known bassists in Germany and is a master of his craft in both jazz and classical music. These three musicians came together to record the CD "Uneven Tales" with compositions by Harald Rutar. The love of diversity and the constant search to harmoniously combine different worlds and sounds and thus create something new unites these three musicians. In Rutar's compositions, which make up an essential part of the Trio Contraire repertoire, different types of music come into motion. Odd time signatures form the framework for new stories: the music of European classical and romantic music, jazz and blues, Viennese waltz and tango, they all leave their native environment and meet on uneven, foreign terrain.
Tango Solitaire
Hidden Waltz
The musicians
Radek Stawarz
Stawarz comes from Galicia and, in addition to his classical violin training, played in jazz and rock bands, Polish folklore and Czech Sinti and Roma music groups. He initially studied at the Silesian University of Classical Music in Katowice and has lived in Cologne since the early 2000s. He studied at the Cologne University of Music and had lessons with Michael Gustorff , Gorjan Kosuta , Bill Dobbins , John Taylor and Frank Gratkowski . In-depth studies followed with Paulo Álvares in the field of new music and free improvisation, among others. In 2003 he won the university competition in Maastricht with the Five Spotz Quintet, and in the same year he won the Cologne Jazz Art 2003 competition with Simon Rummel's Fantasmonika.
Since 2005 Stawarz has been working as a stage musician at the Schauspielhaus Köln ; since 2006 with Andreas Molino's band Charanga. In 2008 he formed a trio with Philip Zoubek and Matthias Muche . In 2010 he worked with the electropunk band Von Spar ; in 2012 with Matthias Muche (The Krzysztof Komeda Show). He has performed in a quartet with Stevko Busch , Tom Arthurs and Ingrid Laubrock . He also plays with DJs in house/techno discos and has accompanied Nessi Tausendschön , Jan Delay and Albrecht Schrader . He has been a member of the Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfeld since 2017, in the television show Neo Magazin Royale until December 2019 and in the ZDF Magazin Royale since November 2020. He can also be heard on Simon Rummel's album Singinging (2023).
violin
Harald Rutar
Harald Rutar, who was born in Austria and now lives in Cologne, studied jazz piano and classical piano at the Vienna University of Music. Further studies with Sally Sargent rounded off his training as a musician and composer. He has given concerts and toured all over Europe. He has played with Oscar Klein, Vera Love, Judy Archer, Luis Ribeiro, Hannibal Means, Marla Glen, among others. In recent years he has increasingly worked as a theater musician, arranger and composer, for example for the Mainfrankentheater Würzburg, Theater an der Luegallee Düsseldorf, Kabarett Klüngelpütz Cologne. He also works as a coach for singers and instrumentalists. Harald Rutar is the arranger of numerous instrumental education volumes published by Schott Verlag.
In 2016 his CD “Uneven Tales” with Radek Stawarz and Paul G. Ulrich was released.
Since 2014 he has been running the Tastensalon in Cologne with Angela Koppenwallner.
piano, accordion, composition
Paul G. Ulrich
- Born in Krefeld on the cheerful Lower Rhine. During school he moved from piano to cello and then to double bass and singing.
- From "classical" to jazz, from 1981 jazz studies at the music academies in Cologne and Hamburg.
- In Cologne since 1986 as a freelance musician.
- Concerts, LP and CD productions, TV and radio appearances, worldwide tours with international jazz musicians and bands of various jazz styles.
- Billy Bang, Benny Bailey, Karl Berger, Brenda Boykin, Al Copley, Bruno Castellucci, Gene Conners, Dusko Goykovich, Lydia van Dam, Albert and Emil Mangelsdorf, Jimmy Pugh, Ack van Rooyen, Manfred Schoof, Hugo Strasser, Toots Thielemanns, Kenny Wheeler, Peter Weniger, Frank Wunsch, Jiggs Whigham
- 12 years as bassist of the Paul Kuhn Jazz Trio.
- Loves the variety of music from "Rag" to "(Jazz)Rock", from "Classical" to "New Jazz" compositions and free improvisation, the different colours and moods, the challenges and possibilities of different styles and musical forms
double bass