photo by Pia Henkel
Fabian Neubauer is a multiinstrumentalist in the field of improvised music.
Coming from a background in piano and drums, he also works with instruments such as electronic organs, the Wurlitzer electric piano, as well as no-input mixing board, guitar, bass, and various types of flutes and other instruments.
What unites his expression across all these instruments is the embrace of abandon, allowing for a deliberate surrender of control in his musical exploration.
Fabian Neubauer (*1994) grew up in Xanten and started playing percussion instruments at the age of six before turning to piano at the age of eleven and additionally to drums at the age of fourteen.
He first received classical piano lessons from Min-Jung Kim-Lenzing and started focusing on improvisation, jazz piano and composition from the age of fifteen with Tae-Sung Chung.
During this time, he began playing concerts in Xanten blues rock and fusion bands in the local area.
In 2013 Fabian Neubauer began studying at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen with Thomas Rückert and later with Peter Walter, majoring in jazz piano and minoring in percussion with Sperie Karas.
Since then, he has received lessons from Joe Lovano, Barry Guy, Augustí Fernandéz Danilo Pérez, Billy Hart, Lee Konitz, Thomas Morgan, Gwilym Simcock, Bob Moses and Leon Parker through various workshops.
In 2016 he took first place in the Steinway Förderpreis Jazz and graduated in 2020.
In 2021, he began taking improvisation lessons with Steve Coleman.
Fabian Neubauer participated in numerous album productions and has already toured countries such as Estonia, Poland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, Italy and Austria as part of international concert tours. He is organist and bassist of the folk band "The Düsseldorf Düsterboys“ and drummer of the trio of Cologne musician Maika Küster as well as of the indie rock band "This Big Bad Thing".
He has performed with musicians such as Irena Tomažin, Michael Zerang, Leila Bordeuil, Ryan Carniaux, Hartmut Kracht, Caroline Kraabel, Mik Quantius, Sebastian Gramss and Jan Klare and in 2021 collaborated intensively with New York avant-garde musicians known as Talibam! and Moers Festival residents Kevin Shea and Matt Mottel. In 2023 he played with various formations at the renowned festival for improvised music, the Moers Festival.
He developed music for dance companies such as SZENE2WEI and the Folkwang Tanzstudio.
With Luong/Neubauer/Liebhaber he released the album "Tales“ on the London label Leo Records in May 2022, for which the London filmmaker Franco Consales produced several music videos.
In May 2023, the group realized a collaboration with Consales as part of the audio-visual live performance "ALCHEMY" and gave concerts in several German and UK venues.
Other groups he has collaborated with include Nasssau, Glossa, The Dorf, Improper Friction, the Wuppertal Improvisation Orchestra, Pleasure, Philharmo, Crystal Glass, Donaueschingen, Der Weise Panda and Sandbox.
Fabian Neubauer lives and works in Wuppertal, Germany.