BIOGRAPHY:

Johannes Wallmann is a pianist and composer, recording artist on Shifting Paradigm Records and Fresh Sound New Talent Records, and the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Born 1974 in Germany, Johannes Wallmann was raised on Canada's Vancouver Island. He studied jazz piano and composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston (B.Mus., 1995) and at New York University (M.A., 1997; Ph.D., 2010), while winning numerous national music competitions and scholarships, as well as two Canada Council artist grants. After moving to New York City in 1995, he quickly established himself as a versatile and in-demand sideman in a wide-range of musical styles.

Wallmann taught at New York University (1996-2007) and the New School (2003-2007) before relocating to Oakland to lead the jazz studies program at California State University East Bay. In 2012, he moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to become Director of Jazz Studies and the inaugural holder of the John and Carolyn Peterson Chair in Jazz Studies at UW’s acclaimed Mead Witter School of Music. At UW-Madison, he has won the Division of the Arts’ Emily Mead Baldwin award in 2019, and in 2021, he was named an H.I. Romnes Fellow.

Wallmann has recorded nine critically acclaimed CDs as a leader: The Johannes Wallmann Quartet (1997), Alphabeticity (2003), Minor Prophets (2007), The Coasts (2010), The Town Musicians (2015), Always Something (2015), Love Wins (2018), Day and Night (2018) and Elegy for an Undiscovered Species (2021).

Wallmann’s 2015 quintet album, The Town Musicians (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT-469), was named an Editors’ Pick by DownBeat Magazine, which called Wallmann “a remarkable pianist and composer...his evocative compositions are brimming with melodic cogency and rhythmic pull,” and called the album a “stunning collage of jazz styles and genres” and “a harmonious album from a lifetime of diverse sounds and experiences.” Midwest Record called The Town Musicians “a sizzling session of sitting down jazz” and “music that meets on the corner of complex and accessible,” and the UK’s Jazz Journal wrote, “If I were responsible for an album as good as this, I’d be shouting about it.”

Wallmann’s 2018 album Love Wins (Fresh Sound New Talent FSNT-538), which the pianist co-composed with hip-hop/jazz/spoken-word lyricist Rob Dz documents and celebrates the marriage equality trials in Wisconsin and the ideas of love, longing, acceptance, and social justice. Love Wins was named “Our First Best Albums of 2018 (So Far) recipient” by Something Else! The UK’s Jazz Journal wrote, “Wallmann makes a septet sound like something much larger, as big as his subject, maybe. Love Wins is as musically challenging as it is socially, and deserves to be heard on both counts.” And the Wisconsin Gazette named Love Wins, “One of the most interesting and accomplished jazz albums to come out in recent years. Love Wins has taken the uniquely American art form to the next step of its creative journey.”

On Day and Night, Wallmann’s 2019 release on Shifting Paradigm Records, Wallmann revisits musical connections established over more than two decades in the jazz world. The album, which DownBeat describes as a “nuanced set of tunes balanced in perfect dynamics, […] meant to be sipped and savored from beginning to end,” features the pianist leading an intergenerational quintet of long-time musical associates Dayna Stephens, saxophones; Brian Lynch, trumpet; Matt Pavolka, bass; and Colin Stranahan, drums on original compositions and re-imagined jazz standards.

Wallmann’s current album release, Elegy for an Undiscovered Species (2021, Shifting Paradigm Records), presents his most ambitious effort yet: a full-length album of new compositions for jazz quintet and string orchestra. The 19-piece ensemble is fronted by two New Yorkers, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen (member of jazz super group ARTEMIS, first-choice soloist for the bands of Maria Schneider and Darcy James Argue, bandleader, and Director of Jazz Arts at Manhattan School of Music) and tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens (winner, “Rising Star—Tenor Saxophone,” DownBeat Critics Poll). Both have been long-time key contributors to previous Wallmann albums. Jensen and Wallmann share musical roots on Vancouver Island, and Wallmann first met Stephens when he moved from New York to Oakland just as the saxophonist was making his move in the opposite direction. Throughout Elegy, Jensen, Stephens, and Wallmann are given plenty of room to blow. The ensemble is powered by a rhythm tandem of Madison bassist Nick Moran, fulcrum of Wisconsin’s thriving jazz scene, and New York drummer Allison Miller.

Midwest Record describes Elegy as “Fresh and lush, it's delightfully mind blowing throughout.” And UK Vibe writes: “An album developed over the course of two years, ‘Elegy for an Undiscovered Species’ is a wonderful piece of music from start to finish. A real celebration of styles and genres and for any artist fortunate enough to deliver their ninth album, to still do so with such a thoughtful and innovative approach to their music is really an inspiring thing so this is a project that will rank forever highly amongst Johannes Wallmann’s – and Shifting Paradigm’s – catalogue.”

Wallmann has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, including several national tours with the Dennis Mitcheltree Quartet, and performances at Massey Hall (Toronto), Carnegie (Weill Recital) Hall, Merkin Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Conservatory, Renee Weiler Hall, Steinway Hall (New York City), the Hong Kong Coliseum (HK), Pacific Coliseum (Vancouver), SkyReach Center (Edmonton), the Taj Mahal (Atlantic City), and in major jazz clubs throughout North America and Germany (Birdland, The Blue Note, the 55 Bar, Yoshis, The Rex, the Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill, The Green Mill, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, The Jazz Estate, The Jazz Gallery, Café Coda, and many more). Wallmann has recorded or performed with trumpeters Ingrid Jensen, Brian Lynch, Ralph Alessi, and Russ Johnson; saxophonists Gary Bartz, Seamus Blake, Phil Dwyer, Dayna Stephens, Pete Yellin, Dennis Mitcheltree, and Russ Nolan; tubaists Howard Johnson and Marcus Rojas; guitarist Gilad Hekselman; vibraphonist Christian Tamburr; bassists Jeff Andrews, Matt Penman, Sean Conly and Martin Wind; drummers Danny Gottlieb, Tim Horner, Jeff Hirshfield, Terry Clark and Donald Bailey; jazz singers Kevin Mahogany and Jackie Allen; operatic tenor Dr. Francois Clemmons and the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble; Four Other Brothers (IL); the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Canto-pop star Faye Wong.

See the electronic press kit page for press releases and information about individual albums