Matthias Leichtfried

Matthias Leichtfried serves as Lecturer for Guitar within the Faculty of Music at JAM MUSIC LAB Private University for Jazz and Popular Music. He additionally holds teaching positions at the Friedrich Gulda School of Music since 2015 and the Upper Mostviertel Music School (electric guitar since 2022, classical guitar 2020-2022).

His educational foundation includes a Diploma in Guitar from Jam Music Lab Conservatory (2014) and ongoing Instrumental and Vocal Pedagogy training at the International Academy of Music and Performing Arts. He has refined his expertise through workshops with Peter Erskine, Danny Grissett, and Rex Richardson.

Leichtfried's artistic focus centers on innovative guitar performance within jazz and popular music contexts, emphasizing improvisational techniques and cross-genre experimentation. His work consistently explores extended guitar techniques and the integration of electronic elements within acoustic frameworks, particularly through ensemble collaborations.

His recent creative output reveals a trajectory toward increasingly experimental arrangements, blending avant-garde jazz structures with world music influences and political commentary. The works demonstrate progressive complexity in rhythmic frameworks and textural layering while maintaining strong improvisational foundations across both acoustic and electronic domains.

As an active performer, Leichtfried leads his own trios and quartets while contributing to multiple ensembles including Franz Fuexe (since 2014), Soap Kitchen (since 2017), and theatrical productions like Theatersommer Winzendorf's "Carmen" (2019), demonstrating consistent engagement across educational, studio, and stage environments.