Reto Weber, born in 1953 in Solothurn, Switzerland, is one of the leading figures in contemporary percussion and improvised music. He began playing drums at the age of 14 in a school band, later performing in various beat, blues, and jazz groups. He went on to study contemporary percussion in Basel.
In 1973, Reto Weber launched his solo career with concerts on large drum setups. This marked the beginning of his development into a multi-percussionist and led to extensive touring throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Over the course of his career, he has performed in more than 100 countries and appears on over 45 records and CDs. His concerts have taken him to major festivals and venues in cities such as Montreux, Willisau, New York, Boston, Berlin, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Dakar, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Havana, and many others.
Throughout the years, Reto Weber has collaborated with a wide range of internationally renowned musicians from the jazz, free improvisation, world music, and contemporary music scenes. His artistic work is marked by stylistic openness, rhythmic innovation, and a unique sonic identity.
In 1978, he co-founded the Percussion Orchestra together with Ghanaian percussionist Nana Twum Nketia and Iranian musician Djamchid Chemirani. From 1991 onward, the ensemble was joined by South Indian mridangam virtuoso Muthuswamy Balasubramoniam. The Percussion Orchestra achieved cult status and concluded its activity in 2003 after 25 years with a final performance.
Alongside his concert work, Reto Weber has composed music for film and theatre, taught at the Swiss School in Bern, and led numerous workshops and school concerts. For many years, he has been regularly voted into the “Winner Polls” of leading jazz magazines. His importance as a percussionist and innovator is documented in major jazz reference works and publications.
After the death of his long-time musical partner Albert Mangelsdorff in 2005, with whom he had collaborated for three decades, Reto Weber frequently performed in trio settings with Eberhard Weber and Enrico Rava. At the same time, he returned increasingly to the classical concert stage, including performances of a work for symphony orchestra and percussion by German composer Joerg Iwer.
A milestone in his artistic legacy is the Hang, a UFO-shaped hand-percussion instrument that was developed based on an idea by Reto Weber and has since gained worldwide recognition.
In 2004, he founded Reto Weber’s Squeeze Band, initially featuring young musicians from the Swiss jazz scene. In 2009, the band became an international project, collaborating with prominent artists from Europe and the United States.
Further projects followed, including the Exotica Trio (from 2014) and several formations with Chico Freeman in Europe and the United States. In 2022, one of these ensembles was named “Most Valuable Band” by the Chicago Tribune.
In 2023, the monograph “Reto Weber – DRUMMIN’” was published by Edition Clandestine.
Today, Reto Weber remains artistically active with the Chico Freeman Unit, the Chico Freeman Group, Reto Weber’s Squeeze Band, as well as in duo and solo projects such as World of Percussion.