Philipp Gropper (ts)

Philipp Gropper (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, composition) was born in Berlin in 1978 and began playing the saxophone at the age of seven.
Since studying jazz saxophone at the UdK Berlin and two years in the Bujazzo's concert line-up under Peter Herbolzheimer, he has worked consistently as a freelance saxophonist and composer, devoting most of his time to the development and realisation of his musical ideas.

In 2003 he founded the trio HYPERACTIVE KID with Ronny Graupe and Christian Lillinger, in 2012 his quartet PHILM with Elias Stemeseder, Robert Landfermann and Oliver Steidle and in 2013, again exploring a completely different musical world, the electro-acoustic band TAU with Philipp Zoubek, Petter Eldh and Moritz Baumgärtner. Concerts with these three bands and as a sideman have taken him to over 40 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America. He has had the honour of playing with such wonderful musicians as Rudi Mahal, Ralph Towner, Jim Black, Bobby McFerrin, Kresten Osgood, Tobias Delius, Clayton Thomas, Nasheet Waits, Pablo Held, Olaf Rupp, Ceylan Ertem, Matthias Schriefl, John Schröder, Maria Joao, Paulo Cardoso, James Knapp, Kaja Drachsler, Kit Downes, Dan Nicholls, Günter Baby Sommer, Håvard Wiik, Axel Dörner, Mat Maneri, Matthew Herbert, DJ IllVibe, Ibadet Ramadani, Peter Evans and many others.

As a sidemann he plays with Wanja Slavin's Lotus Eaters, Pablo Held's Glow, Oli Steidle & The Killing Popes, Home Stretch, in the European Movement Jazz Orchestra and many more. He has been a member of Jazzkollektiv Berlin since 2009.

Philipp Gropper has recorded over 50 albums and has won prizes in various competitions. In 2021, he and his band Philm were awarded the German Jazz Prize as "Band of the Year".