Anthony Braxton and James Fei

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, (music-)philosopher, mentor: For more than five decades, Anthony Braxton has advanced the pioneering work on his inventively iridescent cosmos with unfaltering productivity. Boundaries between world views, cultures and genres have never seemed to be more than productive obstacles – perhaps more than any other, this goes for the divide between jazz and contemporary classical music, which Braxton never accepted. These obstacles were overcome with the help of innovative musical systems, original conceptuality and holistic interpretational approaches. As a teacher and role model, Braxton, who considers himself to be an eternal “student of music”, has shaped an entire generation of avant-garde musicians and has been a significant influence on some of the most creative figures in contemporary jazz, including John Zorn and Mary Halvorson.