Philipp Nykrin seeks out and creates points of tension and intersections between a wide variety of styles, moving effortlessly between opposites. Whether at the acoustic piano or on electric keys, in his compositions or improvisations: at the focal point of these differences, friction arises, from which Nykrin creates his own sonic worlds without ever losing sight of the authenticity of his own voice.

Particularly valued and known for his musical versatility and the organically evolving complexity of his playing—always springing from the moment of musical inspiration—the Salzburg native has for many years now been shaping the Austrian and international music scene as one of the most active representatives of Vienna’s incredibly diverse community of musicians:

Through his own releases, as co-leader of the bands Purple Muscle Car and Namby Pamby Boy, and as a sideman in numerous projects in the fields of jazz and improvised music—such as the András Dés Quartet, Fabian Rucker 5, Christian Muthspiel’s Orjazztra Vienna, and Karl Ritter’s KOMBOjanern—as well as in collaborations with artists such as Efrat Alony, Lorenz Raab, Beate Wiesinger, Gina Schwarz, and Viola Falb, he has toured more than twenty countries on four continents, performing at many renowned venues and festivals in the jazz and alternative music scenes. As a keyboardist for pop acts such as Fiva, Conchita Wurst, and Julian Le Play, he has performed on major stages and at festivals throughout the German-speaking world.

After teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz and the Anton Bruckner Private University of Upper Austria, Nykrin has been serving as a university professor of popular music keyboard instruments at the mdw University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna since October 2023.

As part of this three-day portrait series at Porgy & Bess, Philipp Nykrin presents a broad cross-section of his enormously multifaceted past and current musical work, as well as long-standing, new, and revitalized collaborations, with a special focus on various duo configurations.

https://www.philippnykrin.com