Silent Movie Night with Martin Jaeger

Martin Jaeger was raised in Thalwil, a small town close to Zurich and received his primary musical education at the Music Academy of Zurich. He spent a year as an exchange student in the USA. During this time he got exposed to American piano music. After finishing his medical studies and PhD at the University of Zurich his love for music did no longer leave him alone. Therefore, he added six more years of musical formation at the Conservatory of Music in Zurich. He studied piano, his main subject, with pianist Hubert Harry in Lucerne. After finishing his musical studies with two diplomas, Martin started to perform as a soloist and accompanist in various concerts in Switzerland, Germany and in the USA. Twice, Martin managed to a be a finalist in piano competitions with his ragtime and Gershwin performances,

Today, Martin performs as a soloist in Switzerland or with various formations under the name «Swiss Ragtimers». In addition to his concerts he also accompanies silent movies with ragtime music. In the USA, Martin regularly performs at various ragtime festivals as an international guest soloist for ragtime and Gershwin. In 2011 Martin hosted a ragtime competition for young artists and subsequently performed at the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento with the winner of the competition.

Martin has also made a name for himself as a composer. His compositions «Swiss Rag» and «China Rag» were both aired at the Swiss national television channel SF1; his «Arabian Rag» won a second prize at the Scott Joplin Ragtime composition competition in the USA. Martin’s ragtime compositions are published on several CDs.