Alan Bern

Dr Alan Bern (USA/Germany) is a composer, improviser, pianist, accordionist, music director, philosopher and educator.

He is founder and chairman of othermusic e.V., an association dedicated to the realisation of intercultural and interdisciplinary cultural and educational projects, and director of Yiddish Summer Weimar and Winter Edition.
He has studied with a remarkable array of musicians and thinkers, including John Cage, Karl Berger, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Braxton, Frederic Rzewski, Leonard Shure, Daniel Dennett, Joel Hoffman and others.

He was honoured with the Ruth Lifetime Achievement Award for his innovative work as a musician and educator. His CDs in various genres are available on EMI, Winter & Winter, Jazz Werkstatt, Wergo, Rounder, Pinorekk and other labels.

He also composes music for theatre and contemporary dance and his compositions have won awards in the USA, Europe and Israel.
Bern holds a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctorate in classical composition. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, he lived for many years in Boston and Brooklyn and since 1987 in Berlin.