Jonas Kocher (*1977) is a composer and accordionist with a strong focus on process-oriented works and improvisation. He performs in various ensembles, including a duo with Joke Lanz, a trio with Axel Dörner and Jacques Demierre, a duo with Gaudenz Badrutt, and a trio with Hans Koch and Frantz Loriot, as well as with the Šalter Ensemble. Over the years, Kocher has collaborated with artists such as Radu Malfatti, Irena Z.Tomažin, Kasper T. Toeplitz, Ilia Belorukov, Eiko Yamada, Christof Kurzmann, Michel Doneda, Kai Fagaschinski, Klaus Filip, Chiyoko Szlavnic, Joris Ruhl, Xavier Charles and many others.
As a composer, Kocher’s works blur the lines between composed theatre, installations, and concert pieces. His performances as both an accordionist and composer have been featured at prominent festivals, including Festival Météo Mulhouse (2013, 2014), Le Bruit de la Musique (2018), Music Unlimited Wels (2019), Ring Ring Festival Belgrade (2019, 2023, 2024), Cerkno Jazz Festival (2012, 2017, 2023), Sanatorium of Sound Sokołowsko (2016), Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf (2019), Unerhört Festival Zürich (2018), Musik Festival Bern (2017, 2018, 2022), Umlaut Festival Berlin (2012), Festival Sound Around Kaliningrad (2018), Goethe Institut Improv Festival Moscow (2017), Biennale Zagreb, Irtijal Festival Beirut (2015), Izlog Festival Zagreb (2016), Sonic Circuits Washington (2013), Art Biennale Thessaloniki (2015), Biennale Venice (2020), SMC Lausanne (2012, 2021) and Québec Musiques Parallèles (2023), among others.
Kocher has been the recipient of several awards, including the Artist in Residence Scholarship at the Cité des Arts Paris from the Canton of Bern in 2004, the Canton of Bern recognition prize in 2010, and composition grants from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia in 2012 and 2019. In 2020, he was awarded by the Liechti Prize for the Arts.
In addition to workshops, Jonas Kocher passes on the practice of improvisation at the Bern University of the Arts, in the Music and Movement programme.
