alex ventling

Biography

Alex Ventling, born in 1994 in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the North Shore with strong family ties to Leigh, where his mother studied marine biology. He began piano lessons with a teacher who encouraged improvisation and exploration of open music. At Pinehurst school, jazz pianist Dr. Mark Baynes led the jazz band, introducing him to influences like Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett, Aaron Parks, and Brad Mehldau, shaping his early development. After high school, Ventling traveled to New York for a Film Academy music course, auditioned for Berklee in Singapore (receiving a scholarship he declined), and settled in Basel, Switzerland, to study jazz piano, reconnecting with his Swiss heritage.[1][3][7]

Ventling's career evolved through extensive studies and performances across Europe, forming a longstanding piano trio with UK-born drummer Phelan Burgoyne (whom he met in Basel) and bassist James Kruttli. The trio toured New Zealand and performed in Berlin, blending acoustic jazz with evolving elements like synthesizers (Korg Prologue) and free improvisation. Based in Trondheim, Norway, he has developed new ensembles, including a quartet for his 2025 album 'Wavemakers' featuring violinist Tuva Halse, vibraphonist Amund Stenøien, and drummer August Glännestrand, incorporating guest vocalist Sissel Vera Pettersen. His style merges chamber jazz with Nordic textures, percussive serialism, rhythmic cycles, and improvisational subtlety, often evoking open Nordic soundscapes and influences from Zen-like minimalism.[1][2][3][4]

Now a Trondheim-based pianist, composer, improviser, teacher, filmmaker, and visuals creator practicing Vipassana meditation, Ventling represents the new generation of jazz vanguard. His albums like 'Conversations' with Kim Paterson and 'Wavemakers' highlight his multidisciplinary approach, combining music with visual arts and a fearless extension of improvised language across multinational collaborations.[1][2][4][6]

Fun Facts

• Ventling declined a Berklee scholarship after auditioning in Singapore to study in Basel instead, intending it as a 'gap year' to reconnect with Swiss roots that became a long-term base.[3]
• He practices Vipassana meditation and incorporates filmmaking and visuals into his music career, blending sonic and visual arts.[4][5]
• His piano trio evolved from acoustic tunes to free improvisation with synth, influenced by travels in Copenhagen, Berlin, and Trondheim, where COVID spurred new quartet formations.[3]
• Ventling stopped in New York post-high school for a Film Academy music course while deciding between music and design careers.[3]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dr. Mark Baynes - Jazz piano teacher at Pinehurst school who led the jazz band (Introduced to Bud Powell, Keith Jarrett, Aaron Parks, Brad Mehldau) [High school years, pre-2013]

Key Collaborators

• Phelan Burgoyne - Longtime drummer in piano trio, co-composer (Piano trio albums and tours, including Berlin gig) [Basel studies onward, 2013-present]
• James Kruttli - Original bassist in piano trio (Piano trio formation and performances) [Basel studies, circa 2013-2020s]
• Tuva Halse - Violinist in Wavemakers quartet (Wavemakers album (2025)) [Trondheim, 2024-2025]
• Amund Stenøien - Vibraphonist in Wavemakers quartet (Wavemakers album (2025)) [Trondheim, 2024-2025]
• August Glännestrand - Drummer in Wavemakers quartet (Wavemakers album (2025)) [Trondheim, 2024-2025]
• Sissel Vera Pettersen - Guest vocalist (Omaha track on Wavemakers) [2025]
• Kim Paterson - Trumpet guest on album (Conversations album, First Train to Finse track) [Recent, pre-2025]
• Yumi Ito - Korean singer in earlier vocal project (Percussive serialism project with rhythmic cycles) [Pre-2022]
• Song Yi Jeon - Japanese singer in earlier vocal project (Percussive serialism project) [Pre-2022]

External Links

• Spotify