WERNER DURAND

Werner Durand performs his own music for saxophones, Iranian ney, and self-made wind instruments since the late seventies. He studied with Ariel Kalma in Paris, Indian classical music in India and Berlin (with Kamalesh Maitra) and Iranian ney with Ali Reza Asgharia.

He started to build wind instruments out of plexi-glass and PVC in the early 80s, which led to the foundation of THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE in 1990.

His current projects include ASHTAYAMA with Dhrupad singer Amelia Cuni; RE/ORIENTATION with Amelia Cuni and percussionist Marika Falk; and the group ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER with Sebastian Hilken (cello and percussion), Hella v. Ploetz (glassharp) and Silvia Ocougne (ac.guitars).

Werner Durand has collaborated with numerous composers/performers including David Behrman, Samm Bennett, Fast Forward, David Moss, Fatima Miranda, Muslimgauze, Henning Christiansen, Dominique Regef as well as with visual/ sound artists Michaela Kölmel, Victor Merteens, Andreas Oldörp and Rolf Julius.

He was a member of Arnold Dreyblatt´s Orchestra of Excited Strings from 1990-1997.

In 1989 he received a grant from the city of Berlin for the Cité des Arts, Paris, for 2003/4, he received a one year stipendium from Künstlerhäuser Worpswede. He was granted a residency at Podewil (Berlin) for 1999 together with Amelia Cuni.

He has collaborated in the organization of festivals of traditional as well as avant-garde music in Berlin like "Urban und Aboriginal", "Pipeline" and USArts, „Minimalisms“ and „Intonations“.

Performing worldwide, he participates in international festival and cultural exchange programs, of which some were supported by the Goethe Insitut. He has composed music for theater, dance and radio features, has released a solo CD and several collaborations.