ROLAND HEINZ
Guitarist, Composer & Improvisor
Roland HEINZ Guitarist, Composer
At the age of 17 he tought himself guitar and started playing his first gigs in local jazz bands, in 1981 he moved to Vienna. There he worked with his own trio and also toured in Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In 1986 he got the chance to play in a quintet with Pony Poindexter in Munic, after that joining a quartet with Barre Phillips, saxophonist Leszek Zadlo and drummer Billy Elgart, recording his first CD Heavy Mental(1991).
Later on he moved to New York to study with John Abercrombie and Attila Zoller at the Vermont Jazz Center(1995-1998).
He currently performes and records with musicians like Russ Lossing, Bill Elgart, Leszek Zadlo, Dave Taylor, Adam Holzmann, Radu Malfatti, Scott Lee, Barre Phillips, Gunter Schneider, Jeff Hirshfield, Franz Hackl, Loren Stillman and many others. (festivals include eg.: Klangspuren Schwaz, Outreach Schwaz, St. Johann,Vöcklabruck, Sibiu in Rumania, St.Gallen in Switzerland …)
He is also touring with the Heinz/Lossing/Lee/Hirshfield-Quartet in venues and jazz clubs like Wist-Graz, Eremitage-Schwaz, Porgy & Bess-Vienna, Altes Kino- Landeck, Bierstindl-Innbruck, Treibhaus-Innsbruck, Cornelia Street Cafe-N.Y, Knitting Factory-N.Y, Unterfahrt-Munic …
Radio performances and recordings
from 1982-2004 (ORF-Austria) in various casts like the Erhart Quartet (1982), Modern Art Trio(1983),
Roland Heinz Trio (1986 – 2004),
Bramboeck/Middleton Sextet (1989),
with Barre Phillips(1989,1992),
Dada Conress (1993 – 96),
Poetry and Jazz (1998),
Ten for One (1998),
Klangspurenguitars (1999),
Travel 201 (2000),
Heinz/Lossing-Duet (2000),
Polyrendering with Dave Taylor, Franz Hackl, Adam Holzman (2002),
Russ Lossing (2003),
Loren Stillman, Scott Lee, Jeff Hirshfield (2004)
and many others …
Recordings
Present Tales (2005) Heinz/Stillman/Lee/Hirshfield
Places (2003) Heinz/Lossing/Lee/Hirshfield
Heavy Mental(1991)
Tyromanie(2003) Gunter Schneider
Arte Millennia(2000) SiggiHaider
Glasmusik(1995) Siggi Haider
Tyromanie(1993) Gunter Schneider
Ende vom Lied (2004) Franui …
Compositions
Foehn/saxophone quartet(1998),
Travel 201/guitar and orchestra(2000),
Ten For One/sologuitar
(published by Helbling/Austria 2000),
electroaccustic and ewrophone
(„Sonic Fragmentation“)
also radio performances and recordings …
Concerts
• – Modern Art Trio in Vienna, tours and participation in festivals, 1980 – 1984
• -„Roland Heinz Trio“ in different casts
• -Performances in the group of American saxophonist Pony Poindexter and
Participation in the „Leszek Zadlo Ensemble“ 1983
• -Member of the jazz rock formation „Anaconga“ with Florian Bramböck, 1983
• -Foundation of the ensemble „Heavy Mental“:
• Concert activities in trio and quartet formations with Charly Fischer, Maurizio, among others
Grillo,Dusan Prusak, workshop and concert activity as a quartet with Barre Phillips,
Leszek Zadlo and Bill Elgart, among others, „Musik im Studio“ (live entry at „Jazz
Unlimited“ in Ö1). 1989
• Member of the ensemble „Dada Congress“ with Franz Hautzinger, Patrice Heral and
Elmar Guantes, 1992-1995
• Participation in „Tyromanie 93“ and „Tyromanie 02“ by Gunter Schneider
• Portrait in the Treibhaus Innsbruck with the following bands: Heavy Mental, Dada Congress,
Trio West, Guest List (with Florian Bramböck, Achim Tang, Christian Salfellner) 1995
• Tours with the New York pianist Russ Lossing as a duo (USA, Europe) 1980 – 2010
• Music for readings by Robert Menasse, Robert, with accordionist Siggi Haider
Schindel, Egon A. Prantl, C. Linder , 1998
• Participation in the „Klangspuren 99“, Schwaz
• Live music for the film „Nosferatu“ in the „Grotte“ St.Gallen/Switzerland, 1999
• Concerts in the Kunsthalle St.Gallen/Switzerland (with M.Grillo, D.Prusak) 1999
• Project „Arte Millenia“ (music for ice sculptures) in Lenzerheide Valbella/Switzerland,
2000
• Performances and recordings in New York with Russ Lossing in duo and extended
Line-up with Scott Lee (bass), Jeff Hirshfield (drums), plus John Hebert (bass) and
Bruce Hall (drums), further with Dave Taylor, Adam Holzman, Franz Hackl…….. 2000
– 2017
• Tours in the USA and Europe with the Heinz Lossing Lee Hirshfield Quartet, the
Trio „H3“ with Adam Holzman & Jeff Hirshfield, 2012 – 1017
• Participation in international jazz festivals such as in Sibiu (Romania), at the “World
Music Festival“ (in San Vito Italy), „Jazz Days Vöcklabruck“, St.Johann, Festival
“Outreach” and “Hermitage”, both in Schwaz, (Tyrol), Festival “Klangspuren”………….
1998 – 2017
