Christian Mühlbacher

Christian Mühlbacher is a Professor of Composition, Arrangement & Music Theory at the JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music Vienna. He is a founding member of the Nouvelle Cuisine Bigband and has led the annual Mühlbacher etc. concert series at Vienna’s Porgy & Bess from 1997-2006, later resuming in 2021-2025. His work bridges jazz, rock, and new music through large ensembles like Mühlbacher's USW and Pro Brass.

• Academic Affiliations
  • JAM MUSIC LAB (since 2013)
  • Friedrich Gulda School of Music (since 2013)
  • University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) (since 1997)
  • Bruckner University Linz (since 2008)
  • Gustav Mahler Conservatory (1998-2010)

Research Interests include jazz composition, arrangement techniques, and the integration of visual elements with live music, exemplified by collaborations with video artist Willy Wysoudil. His discography spans Chamber Jungle (2007), Mühlbacher USW recordings (1997-2006), and projects like Nouvelle Cuisine and Pro Brass. He has composed for orchestras, theater, and film, blending modal jazz with avant-garde and rock influences.

Scientific Awards

• State Scholarship for Composers (1997)
• Composition Prize Klagenfurt/Viktring (1995)
• Leibnitzer Art Prize (1994)
• AUME Prize (1984)
• Hans Koller Prize (Album of the Year 1998)
• Sparkassenpreis (1998)
• GNM Werbungspreis für Neue Musik

Teaching & Collaborations: Mühlbacher has lectured at MDW, Bruckner University Linz, and JAM MUSIC LAB. He has mentored jazz drummers, theory, and arrangement for decades. His projects involve collaborations with trumpeters Lorenz Raab, Aneel Soomary, and Matthias Höfs, as well as ensembles like the Janus Ensemble and Pro Brass.