Partyka becomes director of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra
American Ed Partyka will take over as musical director of the Zurich Jazz Orchestra (ZJO) from the 2021/2022 season.
Chicago-born bass trombonist and tuba player Ed Partyka has lived in Europe for almost 30 years and has won prizes at many international competitions. He studied jazz trombone with Jiggs Whigham and composition under the direction of Bob Brookmeyer at the Cologne University of Music.
Partyka has played with numerous major big bands and has worked as a composer, arranger and bandleader for prominent international jazz orchestras. Today, the 53-year-old lives in Austria, works at the University of Graz and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and also leads the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra.
According to the ZJO's press release, he is regarded as a first-class bandleader who takes an orchestra forward without neglecting the existing tradition. One of his plans for his work with the ZJO is to give historically relevant big band music a permanent place in the annual program.
The rest of the ZJO's management remains unchanged: Bettina Uhlmann continues to take care of the management, Daniel Schenker remains co-leader at the interface between musical and program management after two years of interim management and Steffen Schorn continues to work as composer in residence.
