HAUSCHKA

Hauschka, born Volker Bertelmann, first began to study the piano when he was nine years old after attending a Chopin performance in his hometown near Düsseldorf, Germany. Despite seven years of classical training at school, and then a further two years with a private tutor, he found his interest in classical music to be waning. After turning 18, he redirected his attention towards an education in medicine and economics, but soon abandoned those pursuits in favor of studying pop music in Hamburg. By this time, Bertelmann had already composed his first film score, and having picked up a deal with Sony Music in 1994, he spent much of the next few years rapping and playing keyboards with God’s Favourite Dog before forming Nonex, with whom he released two albums in 1997 and 1999. After 2000, he joined with Torsten Mauss to form Tonetraeger and also with Luke Sutherland (Long Fin Killie) and Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot) to work under the name Music A.M. During this period that he became more fascinated with electronic music, which eventually led him try achieving similar effects without the use of electricity at all. He soon began to make use of prepared pianos to emulate various other instruments. Since then he has pursued numerous collaborations with musicians as well as composing several film scores.