WAYNE HORVITZ

Wayne Horvitz piano

Bergamo Jazz 2026's musical journey kicks off with a pianist, keyboardist, and composer who was one of the main protagonists of New York's downtown scene in the 1980s and 1990s. Able to traverse different musical genres, Wayne Horvitz owes part of his notoriety to his militancy in John Zorn's Naked City, an innovative and telluric line-up that also included Bill Frisell and Fred Frith (bass). With a strong individuality and at the same time a particular attention to small and large sound dynamics, Horvitz has pursued a path as an instrumentalist and composer, tackling every field he has been confronted with with rigour and expressive depth. In addition to his work with John Zorn and Bill Frisell, collaborations with William Parker, Lawrence 'Butch' Morris, Elliott Sharp, Bobby Previte, and Jon Rose, to name but a few, are worth mentioning. As a leader, or co-leader, as well as with the New York Composers Orchestra, he has worked with groups of various styles, often on the borderline between avant-garde jazz and post-rock, such as The President, Pigpen and Zony Mash, but also inclined to more chamber-like climates, 4 + 1 Ensemble, Gravitas Quartet.

In collaboration with FONDAZIONE ADRIANO BERNAREGGI