Vinz Vonlanthen

Vinz Vonlanthen (1959–2024) was a Swiss guitarist, composer and improviser born in Bern. He studied at the Swiss Jazz School and developed an individual language for prepared and amplified guitar, combining the instrument with bows, objects, samples and percussive gestures. He also spent formative periods working with musicians in Ghana, Brazil and Paris, and moved freely between jazz, experimental music and cross-cultural projects.

Between 1984 and 1994, he played with Bänz Oester and Gilbert Paeffgen in the free-funk trio Aventure Dupont. His projects also included Urban Safari, Paris Connection, Oogui and the improvising collective Le Grand Frisson, alongside collaborations with Hans Koch, Jacques Demierre, Sylvie Courvoisier and Barry Guy. As a teacher, he was an influential member of the jazz department at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne from 2006 until his death on 15 May 2024.

His Creative Sources appearance is On/off (CS241), recorded in April 2012 at Théâtre 2.21 with the eight-piece ensemble Le Grand Frisson. Vonlanthen plays guitar in a group including Patricia Bosshard, Laurent Bruttin, Yannick Barman, Jean-Jacques Pedretti, Dragos Tara, Cyril Bondi and Christophe Berthet. The album documents the interaction of prepared and conventional instruments in collectively developed improvised music.