Philipp Wachsmann

Philipp Wachsmann was born in 1944 in Germany and moved to the United Kingdom, where he became a naturalized British citizen. He studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he later became a professor. His early career was rooted in classical music, but he soon gravitated toward avant-garde and improvised music, influenced by the free jazz and experimental movements of the 1960s.¹ In the late 1960s, he co-founded the improvisation group Music Improvisation Company with Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, and Jamie Muir, which became a landmark ensemble in European free improvisation.

Wachsmann's approach to the violin is characterized by extended techniques, including microtonal playing, multiphonics, and the use of electronics and prepared violin. He has performed and recorded with numerous prominent improvisers, including Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and Tony Oxley, and has been a member of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra and the Globe Unity Orchestra.² His compositions often integrate structured elements with improvisation, bridging the gap between notated and spontaneous music. He has also collaborated with dancers, visual artists, and poets, expanding the interdisciplinary reach of his work.

Wachsmann has been a influential educator, teaching at the Royal Academy of Music and leading workshops worldwide. He has mentored a generation of improvisers, emphasizing the importance of listening and interaction in music. His recordings, many on the Emanem and Incus labels, are considered essential documents of the free improvisation genre.³ His legacy is also preserved through his writings on improvisation and his role in the development of the London improvisation scene, which has been recognized in academic studies of the genre.

Beyond his well-known collaborations, Wachsmann has explored unusual performance contexts, such as playing in caves and underwater, to experiment with acoustics. He has also composed for film and theater, and has worked with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to create electronic soundscapes. In the 1980s, he formed the duo with pianist Veryan Weston, producing a series of intimate duets that highlight his lyrical side. Wachsmann is also an accomplished viola player and has occasionally performed on the viola d'amore, a rare baroque instrument, in improvised settings.⁴

Free improvisation

A genre of music where musicians improvise without predetermined structures, often emphasizing spontaneity and interaction.

Extended techniques

Unconventional methods of playing an instrument to produce novel sounds, such as multiphonics or microtones.

Prepared violin

A violin modified with objects or electronic devices to alter its timbre and sound production.