Jermaine Sprosse is a highly charismatic musician: spontaneous, stirring and full of energy. His mastership – equally on harpsichord, clavichord and early fortepiano – is rare as is his gift to combine solo literature with the most stunning art of improvisation, especially in the musical language of the middle and late 18th century. In addition to these features, he moderates his recitals in a charming and fascinating manner.
Historical keyboard expert Jermaine Sprosse is considered as an outstanding performer of CPE Bachs music. As such, it is his utmost concern to bring unknown keyboard music of the galant and early classical period to new fame, establishing keyboard composers such as the Bach sons and their stilistic environment in today’s concert life.
Future engagements of this season lead him to concert series and Festivals such as Köthener Bachtagen (D), Bachfest Schaffhausen CH), Harpsichord Festival Tallinn, Mendelssohn Musikwoche Wengen as well as to the unique Festival de Musique improvisée de Lausanne. As soloist he is invited by Ensemble Symphonique Neuchatel to perform within the Concerts du Ruckers concert series in the famous Musee d’Art et d‘histoire Neuchatel.
Jermaine is particularly interested in improvisation. Where other performers struggle, he feels entirely at home. There are practically no limits in his fantasy and thus he enjoys deeply being challenged with tricky improvisation tasks by his listeners. He understands to mesmerize his audience, be it improvising on a given theme, a certain key/tonality, musical form, time signature or simply by setting an emotional scene spontaneously into music.
Besides his career as a soloist, Jermaine is a highly active and inspired chamber music partner collaborating with prestigious artists such as Maurice Steger, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, and ensembles like Zürcher Barockorchester or the Freitagsakademie Bern, where he will be principal keyboardist from 2018.
After his highly acclaimed solo CD The King’s Men including works by CPE Bach and his comtempories, his new solo Album The Keyboard Poet appeared in 2017 consisting of world premiere recordings by Friedrich Wilhelm Rust (1739-96), played on an original 1792 Stein fortepiano. This new album has been equally acclaimed by the press and led to various concert engagements and radio shows.
Basel-based Jermaine Sprosse has been successful at international competitions, winning a 1st prize at the Concorso Internazionale di Musica Antica Nervi in Genoa (Italy) as well as a 2nd prize at the international T. I. M. competition in Paris. He studied at the renowned Schola Cantorum in Basel, where he completed MA programmes in harpsichord, clavichord, fortepiano, improvisation and music pedagogy – all with distinction. Within his sphere of influence, for example at the Schola Cantorum, he has been imparting his knowledge on multiple occasions. Masterclasses and workshops at the Musikhochschule Freiburg i. Br., the Gstaad Baroque Academy within the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Festival de Musique Improvisée de Lausanne or the Steglitzer Tage Alter Musik are important locations for his pedagogical work.
