Home » Member Page

Florian Hoefner

About Me

An established jazz pianist and composer, Florian Hoefner has toured extensively throughout Europe, the US, and Canada. His performances are featured on ten CD releases, including a collaboration with renowned guitarist, Kurt Rosenwinkel.

He has been heard at major festivals across Europe, such as Jazz Baltica in Salzau, Germany, the Bohemia Jazz Fest in the Czech Republic and the Tremplin Jazz Festival in Avignon, France, where his band Subtone was the recipient of both the jury and audience awards. He shared the stage with the likes of Joe Lovano, Seamus Blake, Rich Perry, John Riley and Tim Ries. He is the leader of his New York-based Florian Hoefner Group that released its debut album, “Songs Without Words”, on OA2 Records in April 2012 and has since then embarked on a busy touring schedule in Europe and North America. In September 2013 the next album, “Falling Up”, will be released on the same label.

The German National Youth Jazz Orchestra and the Lucerne Jazz Orchestra (Switzerland) have both premiered Florian’s compositions, with many more appearing on his recordings. He is a two-time winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award and a former member of the BMI Jazz Composers’ Workshop hosted by Jim McNeely.

Florian initially began his musical studies in Bavaria, where he played the trumpet and accordion, in addition to piano. After obtaining his first degree as a jazz pianist from the University of Arts in Berlin, he was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to complete a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. There he studied with Jason Moran, Dave Liebman, and Garry Dial.

As a teacher, Florian has been active both as a private instructor and clinician, working for institutions like the University of Toronto, the University of Arts in Berlin, Germany, the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, Austria, and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia.