Pablo Held

• Name — Pablo Held • Born — 27 December 1986 • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Musician, composer • Years Active — 2000s–present • Label — Pirouet • Website — pabloheld.com • Illustration — Pablo Held in Aarhus, Denmark 2017

Held was born on 27 December 1986. He is from Hagen. His father played the piano and introduced him to the music of Federico Mompou. Held was also influenced and taught by pianist John Taylor. Held won the WDR Improvisation Prize in 2011. Parts of a concert with guitarist John Scofield in Cologne in January 2014 were released as The Trio Meets John Scofield. Held's album Recondita Armonia was reviewed by Down Beat: "Held puts an individual spin on the typical ballad album by drawing on all classical themes."

Pianist Kit Downes observed that Held "has developed a way of performing with his trio where all 3 of them know each others parts for every tune – so anyone can cue any part of any tune by just playing a small part of it (even if it's in the middle of another tune) – so that they then seamlessly link in other material to the mix".

• Year recorded — Title — Label — Personnel/Notes • 2007 — Forest of Oblivion — Pirouet — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2009 — Music — Pirouet — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2010 — Glow — Pirouet — Ten-piece band, with Sebastian Gille (tenor sax, soprano sax), Niels Klein (tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet), Menzel Mutzke (trumpet), Kathrin Pechlof (harp), Hubert Nuss (celesta, harmonium), Henning Sieverts (bass, cello), Dietmar Fuhr and Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2012 — Live — Pirouet — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums); in concert • 2013 — Elders — Pirouet — Sextet, with Jason Seizer (tenor sax), Domenic Landolf (alto flute), Ronny Graupe (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2014 — The Trio Meets John Scofield — Pirouet — Quartet, with John Scofield (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums); in concert • 2015* — Recondita Armonia — Pirouet — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2016? — Lineage — Pirouet — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2017* — Glow II — Pirouet — With Niels Klein (saxes, clarinet), Philipp Gropper (tenor sax), Claus Stötter (trumpet), Ronny Graupe (guitar), Hubert Nuss (harmonium, celeste, pocket organ), Henning Sieverts and Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums), Christian Weidner (alto sax), John Schröder (guitar); some tracks in concert • 2017 — Investigations — Edition — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2019 — Ascent — Edition — Most tracks quartet, with Nelson Veras (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums); one track quintet, with Jeremy Viner (clarinet) added; one track sextet, with Veronika Morscher (vocals) added • 2019 — Descent — Edition — Quartet, with Nelson Veras (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2020–21 — Embracing You — Hopalit — Solo, Pablo Held plays piano, celesta, mellotron & synthesizers • 2021 — Adventures — Hopalit — With Nelson Veras (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums), EOS Chamber Orchestra conducted by Susanne Blumenthal • 2021 — Buoyancy — Hopalit — Quartet, with Percy Pursglove (trumpet, flugelhorn), Kit Downes (organ), Leif Burger (drums) • 2022* — Meet Me at the Loft — Hopalit — Various, recorded live at LOFT Köln during the "Pablo Held Meets" concert series • 2022 — Who We Are — Hopalit — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2023 — Trio Plays Standards — Hopalit — Trio, with Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums) • 2023 — Unity — Hopalit — Quartet, with Nelson Veras (guitar), Robert Landfermann (bass), Jonas Burgwinkel (drums)

• Year recorded — Leader — Title — Label • 2012* — Sebastian — Anthem — Pirouet • 2013* — Bastian — Diegesis — Pirouet • 2013 — Niels — Loom — Klaeng • 2014* — Jason — Cinema Paradiso — Pirouet • 2016* — Peter — The Good View — Jazzsick • 2016* — Oliver — Poolparty — Klaeng

• Illustration — Held at the Aarhus Jazz Festival, Denmark, 2014