Born in Zurich (Switzerland) in 1964, Mats Eser is a musician, composer and producer whose creativity encompasses a large stylistic spectrum. He has developed a distinctive and unmistakable musical flair. The focus of his interest lies in the wealth of percussive sounds and the ability to artistically set them in a musical context. As a “multi-instrumentalist” he creates ever new and surprising sound mixtures using his marimba, vibraphone, Fender Rhodes, drums, self-made instruments made of glass and hand picked Asian bowls and gongs. The resulting music has long exceeded stylistic boundaries and is immediate and touching.
His studies of classical percussion at the Conservatory in Zurich were followed by lively work as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra musician (Tonhalle and Opernhaus Zurich, 1991 to 2006 solo percussionist and timpanist in the Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur). Additional training was undergone with the vibraphonists Antony Kerr (London) and David Friedmann (Berlin).
He later became a member of the «ensemble für neue musik zürich» and is also a founding member of the «Schweizer Schlagzeug Ensemble». This led him to collaborate actively with composers for contemporary music and to engage in a large number of first performances and CD-productions. As a performer of his own and others’ compositions he has appeared all over Europe, Asia and South America. A longtime collaboration tied him with Nick Bärtsch in his «Mobile» group and with the jazz group «music 01» featuring the saxophone player, Christoph Merki.
His current musical activities are focused on the groups and musical concepts that he has been pursuing for many years. These include the collaboration with Ania Losinger, with the pop/jazz band «Lyn Leon» and the trio with Stephan Diethelm and New York singer Carolyn Leonhart as well as various groups which gravitate around the musician and composer, Don Li (Tonus-Music).
In 2017 Mats Eser founded a Marimbaphone Trio with the intent of performing his composition «monochromes».
