Tomas Ulrich: Violoncello
Cellist-composer TOMAS ULRICH received music degrees from Boston University and the Manhattan School of Music. After attending a performance by the great Soviet cellist Mstislav Rostropovich at the age of eight, Mr. Ulrich was inspired to begin his musical journey on the cello. In addition to the traditional classical repertoire, his music clearly demonstrates the influence of such diverse composers and musicians as Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Dmitri Shostakovich and Olivier Messiaen. Mr. Ulrich has performed and recorded with such artists as Anthony Davis, Joe Lovano, McCoy Tyner, Alice Coltrane, Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey, Ravi Coltrane, James Moody, Taylor Ho Bynum, Gerry Hemingway, Dom Minasi, Jason Kao Hwang, Dominic Duval, Ayman Fanous, Ben Allison, Ted Nash, Dave Douglas, Kevin James, Karl Berger, Hans Tammen, Natalie Merchant and Ivo Perelman.
He is also a member of the Diller-Quaile String Quartet which premiered his Quintet for Trumpet and Strings (featuring guest soloist Herb Robertson) in May of 1996. In 2006, Tomas began his recorded musical collaboration with the acclaimed German trombonist Christof Thewes with the release of Quartetto Pazzo "Melancholera" . 2007 saw the release of Mr. Ulrich's first CD as a co-leader (Labryinths with Ayman Fanous on the Konnex label). In 2008, Mr. Ulrich released his first CD as a leader. Cargo Cult (with Rolf Sturm - electric and acoustic guitar and Michael Bisio -acoustic bass) released their first CD "If You Should Go" on the Cadence label to great critical acclaim. This ensemble has gone on to release three more CDs the CIMP label.
(Tomas Ulrich's Cargo Cult (2009), Lonely House (Covers) (2010), Discovers (2011)). Tomas describes this group as his "dream band" and he looks forward to years of live and recorded performances with this wonderful group. In 2010, Tomas continued his collaboration in Germany with Christof and Martin Schmiddi Schmidt (mandolinist/bassist extraordinaire) and their colleagues releasing four CDs on the gligg label ("Clear Horizons" ( Tomas' compositions with his TransAtlantic Quartet), "Two Pieces", "Call Me Cake" and "Vorzeitiges Requiem"). JAZZ NOW has characterized him as "the total package ... incredible chops, great imagination and superb pitch. He fulfills the roles of bassist, guitarist, and additional horn player and is endlessly talented and creative". Jay Collins from Signal to Noise has written that "Tomas Ulrich is surely one of the most accomplished and intriguing cellists in improvised music, with a brilliant technical mastery and ability to play prickly improv, jazz, classical, film music or pretty much anything he desires." Tomas has written music for film, theater and instrumental performance and has concertized in Europe, Japan, South America and the United States. Mr. Ulrich can be heard on over 80 CDs in a wide variety of musical styles and settings.