Silvan Zingg


Silvan Zingg is a Swiss boogie woogie, blues, and jazz pianist and, in 2002, the founder of the International Boogie Woogie festival in Lugano, Switzerland.

Musical career

Zingg was born in Lugano to a musical family. Before he started school, he had learned to play the piano and was inspired by the work of American blues pianists.
He gave his first overseas solo concert at 18 years of age. He was the youngest pianist and only European at the Masters of Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Night in Charleston, South Carolina, with Jimmy Walker, and Skeeter Brandon. He has performed in other American venues, including the Cincinnati, Detroit, Newport Festivals. In November 2005, he performed with Chuck Berry in a sold out concert in Zurich. In 2011, Zingg was invited by festival promoter Claude Nobs to perform with B.B. King at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He has also played with Ray Charles, Memphis Slim, Sammy Price, Champion Jack Dupree, Katie Webster, Michel Petrucciani, and Jimmy Walker.
He has performed in more than 1,000 concerts in 30 countries: Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Greece, Monaco, Andorra, the Vatican, Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden, England, Ireland, the US, Canada, India, Arab Emirates, China, Russia, Mexico. In November 2008, Zingg completed his first concert tour of China.

International Boogie Woogie Festival

In 2002, Zingg started the International Boogie Woogie Festival in Lugano. Since then it has been held annually in April and has attracted such entertainers as Little Willie Littlefield, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Carl Sonny Leyland, Mitch Woods, Axel Zwingenberger, Vince Weber, Joja Wendt, Jean Paul Amouroux, Michael Pewny, and Chris Conz. In 2006, BBC World reported on the festival, which brought it worldwide attention.

Boogie woogie master class and lecture

In 2010, Zingg was invited to give a concert/lecture about the history of boogie woogie at the University of Texas in Brownsville.

Discography