Jörg Leichtfried

Jörg Leichtfried is a Lecturer for Piano at the JAM MUSIC LAB Private University (Vienna) and the Gulda School of Music since 2018. He holds a Master of Arts in Jazz Piano from the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität Wien (2009) and a teaching qualification in Jazz Piano Pedagogy from the Vienna Conservatory (2010). His academic roles are complemented by active research interests in jazz, classical fusion, and genre experimentation. He has received notable awards including the 2021 Lower Austrian Cultural Music Award and a 2024 State Scholarship for Composition.

His research focuses on cross-genre collaborations (e.g., jazz-classical string quartet projects) and improvisation techniques. He has performed internationally at festivals such as the Ermitage Garden Jazz Festival (Moscow), Odessa Jazz Festival (Ukraine), and Carthage Jazz Festival (Tunisia). Masterclasses were held at institutions like the Latvian Academy of Music and the Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas).

Leichtfried’s discography includes over 10 albums, blending jazz with hip-hop, funk, and classical elements. Notable works include Words Have Vanished Into Silence (2025, with Koehne Quartett) and Scandinavian Ballerina (2025, Trio). Collaborations with artists like Georg Wollmann (Friedrich project) and Dominik Fuss (Duo Fuss/Leichtfried) highlight his diverse musical partnerships.

His artistic output emphasizes melodic innovation and atmospheric storytelling, as evidenced by reviews describing his work as 'a joy to experience' with 'lush harmonies' and 'edge-of-your-seat improvisation.' Grants and scholarships have supported his artistic development, including a 2012 BMUKK residency in New York.