Hans Koller

Hans Koller (Vienna, 1921 – Vienna, 2003) was an Austrian tenor saxophonist and bandleader and a leading figure in postwar European jazz. Although he is best known for his music, he was also a recognized abstract painter, an aspect of his output that deserves its own attention.

After World War II he returned to Vienna, where he played with the Hot Club of Vienna. In 1950 he emigrated to Germany and formed a small ensemble there. During the 1950s he played with musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman and Oscar Pettiford, among others. From 1958 to 1965 he directed the jazz workshops of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg, and in 1970 he returned to Vienna.

Back in Vienna he formed the group Free Sound and, later in the 1970s, worked with the International Brass Company. He also composed, and his original works include the ballet New York City, completed in 1968. As an abstract painter, his work rounds out the profile of a multidisciplinary artist.

His legacy is recalled in later tributes, such as the 2018 recording by the Upper Austrian Jazz Orchestra titled "In the Spirit of Hans Koller".