Award-winning producer
Manfred Eicher, a graduate of the Berlin Academy of Music, whose early experiences as a production assistant at numerous orchestral and chamber music sessions highlighted the care taken in the recording of classical music, established ECM in 1969 believing that it was possible to approach jazz recordings with similar sensitivity. As head of ECM, Eicher (photo) has played a fundamental role in guiding the label’s artistic direction through rigorous quality control and disregard for conventional notions of commercialism. He has produced most of ECM’s recordings since the label’s launch, bringing along his experience as a musician – both in jazz and classical music – to the sessions, and has been well rewarded. Besides last week’s Grammy award for Producer of the Year in classical music, Eicher’s accolades include an honorary «German Record Critics Award,» in 1986, and, more recently, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Brighton for outstanding contribution to the development of contemporary music. During his label’s early years, Eicher provided a home for important jazz artists such as Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, and numerous others, at a time when the music industry was devoting most of its attention to rock. Beyond jazz, ECM’s repertoire has reached out to embrace the world’s indigenous musical traditions, including Indian raga, Pakistani vocal music, African drumming, and Korean ritual music, long before the term «world music» became a slogan. Since the mid-1970s, ECM has averaged more than 20 recordings annually. Over the past decade, Greece’s largest independent label, Lyra Records, has exclusively represented ECM in Greece. Conference
