Gandalf
Gandalf Profile
GANDALF can be called a "PAINTER OF MUSICAL LANDSCAPES", he is a composer, musician and producer of meanwhile numerous album releases. His name originated from J.R.R.TOLKIEN´s cult-epic "THE LORD OF THE RINGS".
GANDALF plays a great variety of instruments (acoustic and electric guitars, sitar, saz, charango, bouzuki, balaphon, piano, synthesizers & sample-keyboards and various percussion) and blends acoustic with electronic and spheric sounds, weaves folk-elements into symphonic structures, creating his unmistakable unique style that made him become one of todays internationally most successful Austrian musicians.
The goal of this multi-sided musician is, to dissolve the boundaries between musical categories and styles and to create a cross-cultural global music. On his journeys through Europe, North and South America and Asia he came in touch with most different cultures and found out, that there are more things that unite than seperate the folks on this planet.
Similar to symphonic music from the past, GANDALF´s music tells us stories, describes certain moods and magical moments (in American magazines it has been named "21st CENTURY CLASSICAL MUSIC").
At the beginning of the eighties GANDALF was with his albums JOURNEY TO AN IMAGINARY LAND and VISIONS one of the pioneers of a new musical direction that was hard to categorize. Later on it was described as NEW AGE MUSIC or CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL and nowadays it develops more and more into a NEW WORLD-MUSIC, but no category ever really applied to GANDALF´s music. With his live-band he playes at Electronic-Music-festivals as well as at Rock- and Pop-events where the audiences respond very enthusiastically. On a promotion-tour through the USA he played solo-concerts with just acoustic guitar and piano.
1990 the self-taught musician composed and arranged a complete orchestral piece (SYMPHONIC LANDSCAPES) which was performed live as part of the Vienna Music Summer - festival with the ORCHESTER DER VEREINIGTEN BÜHNEN WIEN (conducted by Caspar Richter) at the WIENER KONZERTHAUS.
In the meantime GANDALF worked with international artists like the (ex-GENESIS) guitarist STEVE HACKETT (CD GALLERY OF DREAMS 1992), and the Tunesian vocalist and oud-player DHAFER YOUSSEF. He wrote music for theatre and films, his records have been in the charts in exotic countries like KOREA and CHILE and can be found on playlists of radiostations all over the planet.
1995 GANDALF went with his band on a concert-tour through BRAZIL, where he met the british cellist and vocalist EMILY BURRIDGE. Together with her he later produced two albums (GATES TO SECRET REALITIES and BARAKAYA).
GANDALF´s concept, to follow honestly his musical visions over the past years has proved to work, his music that is inspired by nature and by the wisdom and myths of various cultures, outlasts short-living trends and, in spite of most rapidly changing fashions in todays music-business, constantly finds its audience.
With his compositions the sensitive artist points at other realities behind the colourful scenes of our modern consume-society. His music shall encourage us, to start searching for ourselves and to preserve a small piece of individuality in a completely ruled and designed world.
Gandalf Discography
- Journey To An Imaginary Land
- Visions
- To Another Horizon
- More Than Just A Seagull
- Magic Theatre
- Tale From A Long Forgotten Kingdom
- The Universal Play
- From Source To Sea
- Fantasia (The Best Of - Compilation)
- Invisible Power
- Labyrinth (Soundtrack)
- Symphonic Landscapes
- Gallery Of Dreams
- The Stones Of Wisdom
- To Our Children's Children
- Colours Of The Earth
- Echoes From Ancient Dreams
- The Shining
- Gates To Secret Realities
- Barakaya
- Into The Light
- Samsara
- Visions 2001/ 20years [Double-Cd]
- The Fountain Of Secrets
- Between Earth And Sky
- Colors Of A New Dawn
- Der Prophet
- Sacred River
- Lotus Land
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