Hans Kennel

Born in Schwyz, trumpeter Hans Kennel played cassical for a short period, then jazz (see biography) and other experimental musics for years. When by accident he saw some photos in a family album that showed his father playing with his brother and grandfather (their Alpine blues!), Kennel became aware of his personal musical heritage and his career took a sharp turn. First Kennel’s experiments with elements of Alpine music were often tagged with an “exotic bonus”. His groups and projects ALPINE JAZZ EXPERIENCE (co-led with musicologist Jürg Solothurnmann), ALPINE EXPERIENCE and the especially with his alporn quartet MYTHA, however slowly started to attract wider attention and acclaim thoughout the years. Kennel’s groups have recorded CDs and succesfully toured in- and mostly outside of Switzerland. Their concert appearances and CDs incited an astonishing new interest in Alpine music, especially among younger musicians. Since the mid-nineties numerous young musicians, singers, instrumentalists (a whole school of new alphorn players) have appeared on the scene and gained general attention. “New Alpine Music” or “Alpine Worldmusic” – for Hans Kennel a life-long affair, a never ending work-in-progress.