Lukas Schiske

was born in Vienna in 1962. He trained both as a classical and as a jazz percussionist at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.

Following his studies, Lukas Schiske worked with classical symphony orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the RSO Sinfonieorchester and the Wiener Symphoniker as well as with several baroque orchestras. In addition, he has performed with various chamber music ensembles covering a wide range of musical styles, and collaborated with artistic personalities such as Michael Heltau and Claude Bolling. Over the years he has increasingly specialised in new music.

Both as soloist and as ensemble player, Lukas Schiske is a regular guest at the most renowned international music festivals including Wien Modern, Wiener Festwochen, Bregenzer Festspiele, Lucerne Festival, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Biennale Venedig, Huddersfield Contemporary, Sacrum Profanum Cracow and Ultima Oslo.

Over the years he has forged close artistic relationships with composers such as Georg Friedrich Haas, Beat Furrer, Salvatore Sciarrino, Georges Aperghis, Olga Neuwirth, Rebecca Saunders, Mauricio Kagel and Luciano Berio.

Frequently, Lukas Schiske performs as jazz and rock drummer in various projects – including cross-over genres – playing with musicians such as Wolfgang and Christian Muthspiel and Franz Hautzinger; and he regularly participates in a Frank Zappa project with the Ascolta Ensemble Stuttgart. In 2010 he founded the Drumset Quartet consisting of colleagues of some of the most important European ensembles for contemporary music, with whom he performed at the Tonlagen Festival in Hellerau.

Stage appearances include productions at the Salzburg Festival, the Schwetzinger SWR Festival and at the Opéra-Comique in Paris with Christoph Marthaler, Anna Viehbrock and Jérome Deschamp.

By now, his discography includes about 100 CD productions.

Since 2013 he holds a teaching position as professor for new playing techniques at the University of Music and Performing Arts (mdw), Vienna

Lukas Schiske has been a permanent member of Klangforum Wien since its inception in 1985.