Christian Rover
Guitarist / Composer / Teacher
After a long stint in the USA, Christian Rover is making a name for himself on the international music scene. A summa cum laude graduate of Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, Rover captured first prize at DOWNBEAT'S "Music Fest USA" and was awarded the Joe Zawinul Award for outstanding achievements in music synthesis. His own CDs and numerous other recordings demonstrate his unique musical talent, both as a solo artist and a sideman. Rover has toured and given concerts in the USA, Israel, China, Japan and throughout Europe.
Rover has performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Rhoda Scott, Pee Wee Ellis, Houston Person, George Garzone, John Zorn, Matt Garrisson, Jim Black, Dan Rieser, John Stowell, Skuli Sverrisson, Cesar Olguin, Enzo Zirilli, Alberto Marsico, Raetus Flisch, Piotr Barron, Jaromir Honzak, Gildas and Jean-Batiste Boclé, Emil Mangelsdorf, Wolfgang Engstfeld and Peter Weiss among many others. He enjoys being active in many styles of music from contemporary to popular, ethnic to all shades of jazz. The settings that he has worked in range from solo performances to unique band projects to leading a Japanese/East German Big Band ("Far East Far Out Orchestra"). A skilled composer Rover likes the challenge of writing in contemporary as well as classical context such as arranging and performing the Goldberg Variations on three electric guitars for the International Bachfestival.
Christian Rover is also in great demand as a teacher. He has worked as a professor at the University of Graz (Austria), the Conservatory of Music in Weimar and Leipzig (Germany) and has taught at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachuessetts (USA). He has given countless lectures at conservatories such as the Sibelius Academy (Finland), in Zurich and Basel (Switzerland) as well as workshops in Gdansk (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic) and many other institutions around the globe. For many years he has been a contributing writer to major publications such as Gitarre & Bass, Musiker and Fachblatt.
Reactions from critics and fellow musicians:
"Superb jazz guitarist..."
"Vast talents... very individual. Christian has his own voice...
a voice which deserves to be heard !"
"Christian is a guitar virtuoso and a multi-faceted jazz musician
who can also play blues, fusion and rock
with the best of them."
"I was immediately impressed by his guitar playing and sense of musicality...
A very original musician."
"Pioneer of live looping."
NEUE ZÜRICHER ZEITUNG
"A very promising guitarist. His playing is excellent and thoughtful."
"A touch of magic."