The Tranzɪənt Ensemble

/ˈtranzɪənt/

noun

a high amplitude, non-repeating, quickly occurring signal in an audio waveform

adj.

remaining in a place only a brief time

 

The Transient Ensemble is a group who never lingers long in same place musically, physically, or intellectually. It’s members are trained in past traditions, are looking towards the future, and live somewhere called the present. Transformations in texture, groove, and sonority are the norm for this group of truly modern musicians.

 

 

…They are…

James Alexander                             Piano

Born in Canada. Studied at the University of British Columbia with Robert Silverman and the Juilliard School with Sasha Gorodnitzki and Janina Fialkowska. He is on the faculty of the Hochschule der Künste Bern and the Conservatoire de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland. He has toured Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Japan, and has many recordings for solo piano, Lieder, and chamber ensembles.

Didier Métrailler                              Percussion

Born in Sierre, Switzerland. He was awarded a Professional Certificate at the HEM Conservatoire de Genève and studied tabla in Benares, India and Brazilian percussion in Rio de Janeiro. He is a founder and member of many groups including “drumming4tet”, Company Roland Auzet, and the Michelangelo4tet. He has performed in many festivals throughout Europe including Agora – Paris, Montreux Jazz Festival, Espace des Arts – Chalon-sur-Saône, Le Souffle des Peaux – Paris, Les Musiques – Marseille, Passionkirche – Berlin, Multiphonies – Radio France Paris, International Festival Oficina de Curitiba (Brazil), and at IRCAM.

Loïc Defaux                                      Marimba, Vibraphone, Percussion

Born in France. Loïc studied percussion in Metz, Paris-Noisiel and Geneva. He is a member of Eklekto (formerly known as Centre International de Percussion de Genève (CIP), Ensemble XII (known as the Lucerne Percussion Group), and percussion duet Triloc from 2003 till 2011 (1st prize at the Fermo International Percussion Competition, Italy, 2004). Loïc is involved in many different  projects for contempory music and symphony orchestras. He has collaborated with Ensemble Contrechamps, Berliner Ensemble, Ensemble Laboratorium, Russian Camerata Tver and has performed in festivals throughout Europe, in the USA, and in South Africa.

Shigeru Ishikawa                            Doublebass

Born in Tokyo, Japan. He studied in Japan and New York (Juilliard School) under Eugene Levinson, Gary Karr, Edwin Barker, and Shunsake Tsutsumi. He is currently principal bass of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Toyko, and co-principal bassist of the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa. He has formerly held principal bass positions in the Bern Symphonieorchester (Switzerland), the Florida Philharmonic, and the New World Symphony. He regularly gives masterclasses in the USA and Japan, and has recorded for Decca, Philips, and Imagine and been broadcast on NHK.

Fiona Kraege                                    Violin

Born to a Swiss-Irish family in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, Fiona started to play the violin at age five and entered the professional section of the Conservatoire de Lausanne four years later. There she received her Bachelor’s degree under Pierre Amoyal and then her Master’s Degree as a student of Professor Tibor Varga. She was later awarded a Soloist degree with Zakhar Bron at the Zürich Hochschule für Musik. She is currently Assistant Concertmaster of the Bern Symphony Orchestra. She is active as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher.