Biophilia Records
Wolfgang Muthspiel
Guitarist, Composer
Vienna-based Wolfgang Muthspiel (*1965) is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz guitarists of his generation. Originally classically trained on the violin, he shifted his focus to the guitar at age 15, drawn to the freedom of improvised music. After studying under Mick Goodrick at the New England Conservatory and later at Berklee College of Music, he spent two years touring with the Gary Burton Quintet alongside Larry Grenadier and Donny McCaslin. By the mid-1990s, he had relocated to New York, firmly establishing his reputation in the jazz scene.
Over his career, Muthspiel has fluidly crossed genres. He explored pop with singer Rebekka Bakken, produced electronic music with his brother as Muthspiel/Muthspiel, and has collaborated with heavyweights ranging from Paul Motian and Gary Peacock to Youssou N’Dour and Trilok Gurtu.
He made his ECM Records debut in 2013 with the trio MGT (featuring Slava Grigoryan and Ralph Towner) on Travel Guide. He followed this in 2014 with his ECM debut as a bandleader, Driftwood, an acclaimed trio record featuring Brian Blade and Larry Grenadier. His 2016 quintet album Rising Grace—featuring Brad Mehldau, Blade, Grenadier, and Ambrose Akinmusire—earned five stars from DownBeat and led to sold-out global tours. The group returned in 2018 with Where The River Goes, featuring Eric Harland on drums. Most recently, Muthspiel has focused on his trio with Blade and bassist Scott Colley, releasing Angular Blues in 2020 and the highly praised Dance Of The Elders in 2023, backed by an extensive European club and hall tour.
Beyond small-group jazz, Muthspiel has composed for classical ensembles like Klangforum Wien and the Esterházy Foundation. He released the singer-songwriter vocal projects Vienna Naked (2012) and the globally recorded Vienna World (2015). In 2019, he launched the 19-piece Wolfgang Muthspiel Large Ensemble, merging jazz legends with chamber musicians to perform his original pieces, arranged by Guillermo Klein, at major venues like the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie.
An active figure in music education and production, Muthspiel founded Material Records in 2000 to highlight international talent. He has directed the guitar program at the Basel University of Music FHNW since 2004 and, in 2017, founded the internationally recognized Focus Year program at Jazzcampus Basel. His accolades include the Hans Koller Prize, the 2021 German Jazz Prize for International String Instruments, and the 2025 Austrian Jazz Prize "High Impact Award." In December 2020, Musicians magazine named him one of the top ten jazz guitarists in the world.
Over his career, Muthspiel has fluidly crossed genres. He explored pop with singer Rebekka Bakken, produced electronic music with his brother as Muthspiel/Muthspiel, and has collaborated with heavyweights ranging from Paul Motian and Gary Peacock to Youssou N’Dour and Trilok Gurtu.
He made his ECM Records debut in 2013 with the trio MGT (featuring Slava Grigoryan and Ralph Towner) on Travel Guide. He followed this in 2014 with his ECM debut as a bandleader, Driftwood, an acclaimed trio record featuring Brian Blade and Larry Grenadier. His 2016 quintet album Rising Grace—featuring Brad Mehldau, Blade, Grenadier, and Ambrose Akinmusire—earned five stars from DownBeat and led to sold-out global tours. The group returned in 2018 with Where The River Goes, featuring Eric Harland on drums. Most recently, Muthspiel has focused on his trio with Blade and bassist Scott Colley, releasing Angular Blues in 2020 and the highly praised Dance Of The Elders in 2023, backed by an extensive European club and hall tour.
Beyond small-group jazz, Muthspiel has composed for classical ensembles like Klangforum Wien and the Esterházy Foundation. He released the singer-songwriter vocal projects Vienna Naked (2012) and the globally recorded Vienna World (2015). In 2019, he launched the 19-piece Wolfgang Muthspiel Large Ensemble, merging jazz legends with chamber musicians to perform his original pieces, arranged by Guillermo Klein, at major venues like the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie.
An active figure in music education and production, Muthspiel founded Material Records in 2000 to highlight international talent. He has directed the guitar program at the Basel University of Music FHNW since 2004 and, in 2017, founded the internationally recognized Focus Year program at Jazzcampus Basel. His accolades include the Hans Koller Prize, the 2021 German Jazz Prize for International String Instruments, and the 2025 Austrian Jazz Prize "High Impact Award." In December 2020, Musicians magazine named him one of the top ten jazz guitarists in the world.
Recordings
