Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson studied composition at Indiana University with John Eaton and Iannis Xenakis and with Gunther Schuller and Jacob Druckman at the Berkshire Music Centre, Tanglewood. He has received numerous grants, including from the National Endowment for the Arts, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, Levedo Foundation, Fonds Voor Skeppende Toon Kunst (NL) and many others. He has been commissioned by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Oklahoma Symphony, Southwest German Broadcasting Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Ensemble Paul Klee, SUISA, Pro Helvetia, Wien Modern, Broken Frames Syndicate, Grow String Quartet, Wolf Tone Duo, Mondrian String Trio, Ensemble Aventure, among others. Nelson is also the author of a collection of essays and poems entitled ‘Words by Memory and Other Words’ and has lived in Biel since 1994.
Recent premieres include Wien Modern, Lucerne Festival, Forward, Lucerne Summer Festival, Rainy Days Festival. Nelson's work ‘Jim Is Still Crowing’ for trumpet and ensemble was recently performed in Frankfurt, Lucerne, Luxembourg, Brooklyn, Utrecht and The Hague. His latest work ‘Der Neue Frühling’ for the Luzerner Kantorei, Luzern Symphony and amateur music ensembles as well as solo trumpet will be premiered under his direction at the KKL Luzern on 11 May 2025. His music theatre piece ‘VOICESSBETWEENTHESHADOWSBETWEENTHEVOICES’ will be performed at the Bern Music Festival in September this year and at the Walcheturm Zurich.
Studio Dan was founded in 2005 as a large ensemble of the JazzWerkstatt Wien. Over time, the group evolved into a flexible instrumental ensemble and cross-genre collective.
Studio Dan's vision extends far beyond merely performing music: Guided by the belief that artistic work can provide a meaningful counterbalance to reactionary, nationalist, and capitalist tendencies, the group takes a thoughtful and deliberate stance. They develop educational formats, perform in public spaces, produce sophisticated works for young audiences, and create networks that reach well beyond the art scene. The ensemble has a particular interest in artistic positions that consciously challenge current trends in art and music.
From its inception, Studio Dan has embraced a heterogeneous composition, both in terms of the artistic backgrounds of its members and in age and gender diversity.
For over 15 years, the collective has commissioned works from artists spanning the widest range of aesthetic fields. Collaborators include representatives of the younger generation, such as Sonja Mutić, Oxana Omelchuk, Sam Gryllus, Juan Pablo Trad Hasbun, Christof Ressi, Thomas Wally (composition), Karolina Preuschl (text), Eva-Maria Schaller (dance), Melanie Hollaus, and Lukas Schöffel (film), as well as renowned figures across diverse disciplines like Anthony Coleman, Mark Fell, Vinko Globokar, Ingrid Laubrock, George Lewis, Wolfgang Mitterer, Julia Purgina, Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, Elliott Sharp, and Manos Tsangaris. In 2024, Studio Dan appointed Xizi Wang as its first Ensemble Conductor.
Studio Dan performs internationally at prestigious venues such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Roulette in New York, the National Forum of Music in Wrocław, and Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana. The group has also been featured at festivals including the Wiener Festwochen, Wien Modern, musikprotokoll at steirischer herbst, and La Strada Graz.