Peter Apel

Peter Apel has been working as a freelance composer and musician since 1980 and lives in Bremen. Early artistic stations: ….the formation ELECTRIC JAZZ GROUP OSTERTOR, ….the ethno-jazz trio COSMIC FUN, ….the composition of the music for the “Meditation of the Four Directions” by the Moroccan Sufi master Jabrane Sebnat, …..the avant-garde jazz formation SCHIEMANN GROUP (LP Stollenblues/Thein), with various festival appearances and radio recordings, including at the Int. New Jazz Festival Moers, …..the realization of his symphonic work “17.23h” by the 40-member KROSS ORCHESTRA founded by Peter Apel (premiered Breminale 1987), …..the pop and jazz musical fusion PELA (7’inch with the title “I’ve got you under my skin”), …..the hardcore electronic band THE DRY HALLEYS (LP/CD “Crash Landing Chemistry”/Dark Star/Freibank/efa-Vertrieb), …..the fake jazz septet SWIM TWO BIRDS (CDs “The Bloody Thumb Cookbook 1994”, “Apsion 1992”, “Not Serious” 1990), …..the jazz trio PETER APEL KOMBO, with tours in East and West Germany (MC “Don’t pay that bill” edition collage/STB-records), …..ENSEMBLE RAUM 19, which has performed various festivals and made radio/TV recordings as a jazz quartet and large formation (including the Nuremberg Jazz Festival, Interjazz Leningrad (presented by Vladimir Feyertag), Breminale, Vilnius Jazz Festival Lithuania, Würzburg Jazz Festival).

In 1991, the choral music collage HANSEATIKA was premiered in collaboration with the choir director and composer Hartmut Emig and the newly structured KROSS ORCHESTER as well as the choirs HART BACKBORD, BEGU-CHOR, GESANGSVEREIN ARBERGEN.

1992 Founding of the poetry/music duo ABROMEIT/APEL. Numerous solo concerts with various thematic focuses. Composition of the ballet music for the dance piece “Don’t call me, I call you” by Carmen Rita Maria.

1993 Founding of the Free Music & Lyric trio SOBOTTA/APEL/ENGELSMANN. Composition of the music for the dance piece “See You” by Carmen Rita Maria. Peter Apel composed/produced the music for the early evening series ARCHITEKTOUR for Bremen television. Sound installations on the subject of HUMAN-MACHINE (Kulturwerkstatt Westend, Bremen, autumn 93). Further solo concerts with his own works, with a tendency to cross genres in the direction of environment and with new electronic instruments such as the LASER HARP.

1994 joint work “Russian Roulette” with the painter and video artist Marikke Heinz-Hoek (Kunst-Chaos-Kunst-Festival). Audio image installation “deiche brechen nie nur irgendeinen” (premiere in KW Westend, Bremen). Installation “Einflüsterung” (Junges Theater, Bremen) as well as solo performances and concerts.

1995 Premiere of the oratorio “WAR END-END WAR” (Emig/Apel) for choir and small ensemble in Bremen town hall. Composition/production of the music for the school musical “Westendstory”. Soundtrack for the video installation “18./19.8.1944” by Marikke Heinz- Hoek (FilmFest Bremen ’95).

1996 Composer for the production “Leben wie die Schweine” (Schauspielhaus/Bremer Theater) and for the dance improvisation “Artaud” (Kontorhaus).

1997 Tour/studio guitarist for CRIBB 199, Perc’s ELECTRIC FAMILY, BETTERMEN, TELSTARS. Various performances with his composition “Eiserne Zeit” (for concert harp, guitar, electronics and tape), including in the Bremen town hall. Founding of the concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? .

1998 Commissioned composition “Apel meets Eisler” on the occasion of the Hanns Eisler Days in Bremen (premiere) and live radio broadcast from the Junges Theater. Artistic director of the jazz revue “Moments Total Live” (Radio Bremen recording). Founded the internet information and event service MOMUSIC in cooperation with bassist and arranger Thomas Milowski. Concerts with the band of saxophonist Bernd Schlott.

1999 on tour/in concert with The Perc’s ELECTRIC FAMILY, saxophonist Frank Mead (UK), dulcimer player Remo Crivelli (CH), vocalist Sandhya Sanjana (India) and drummer Jörn Schipper. Founded various project bands. Successfully organized the anniversary party for the three-year non-stop existence of the cult Wednesday concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? under the title “Mobiläum”.

2000 Artistic director of the jazz & lyric project “Wallking on Eggshells” (lyrics by Herbert Simmons, speaker Michael Pundt, saxophone Frank Delle) commissioned by Atlantik-Verlag (series: Soul Fiction). Founding of the concert series SOBOTNIK-EVENTS for the Bremen club “Oblomow”. On tour with Kojo Samuels and his West African band “Mister E.K.S.”. Concerts with the project “Apel sings Brecht” with the cellist Anka Hirsch. Electronic music between avant-garde and drum’n bass with the project ELECTRIC GROOVES INDUSTRIES (RB 2 live recording/MIBnightjazzfestival 01). Live film music for the historical science fiction film “Aelita” (Kino 46, Bremen).

2001 Successful re-location (February ’01) of the concert series WHO’S UNCLE MO? in the Bremen club “Studio auf den Höfen” (involuntary discontinuation of the series in October ’01 due to the gastronomic conversion of this unique live…

this CV is not complete

Peter Apel died suddenly in June 2024
RIP rock’n’roll never dies!