Reflections on Classical Music | News | Hauschka

Hauschka is the alias of German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, who currently resides in Dusseldorf. Having studied classical piano for ten years, his work as Hauschka is based upon a playful exploration of the possibilities of the ‘prepared’ piano – a playfully disruptive intervention into the preconceived idea of the piano as a pure-toned, perfected instrument waiting for a gifted virtuoso to play on it. Clamping wedges of leather, felt or rubber between the strings; preparing the hammers with aluminium paper or rough films; weaving guitar strings around the piano’s guts – his resulting tracks are composed both originally and with charm. Vivid, unconventional pieces made in a spirit of playful research-enthusiasm. Besides working as Hauschka, Volker is a member of Music A.M., a collaboration with Stefan Schneider (To Rococco Rot) and Luke Sutherland (Long Fin Killie); and of the electronic / club tracks duo Tonetraeger, his project with Torsten Mauss.