Bernd Lhotzky's bag is traditional piano, covering an extensive repertoire of ragtime, New Orleans jazz and swing.

Bernd's favourite, however, is the Harlem stride, that virtuoso style of piano playing pioneered and popularized in New York in the Twenties and Thirties by the likes of Thomas "Fats" Waller, James P. Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith.

Today, Bernd Lhotzky is internationally recognized as one of the most competent exponents of stride piano. He has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in the field.

Bernd was born in 1970 in Tegernsee, Bavaria, and studied composition under Paul Engl, to whom he was recommended by Günther Bialas.

Piano teacher's Michael Leslie, Franz Massinger, Gottfried Hefele and Henri Chaix and, subsequently, he studied at the Richard Strauss Conservatory and the College of Music in Munich.

Appearances with Ralph Sutton, Dick Hyman, Al Casey, Louis Mazetier, Trevor Richards, Cuff Billett, John Defferary, Pete York, Oskar Klein, Axel and Torsten Zwingenberger, demonstrate the many achievements of this talented pianist in his relatively short career.

As you would expect Bernd is also to be found on recordings with Ralph Sutton, Al Casey, Louis Mazetier, Susan Dumas, Trevor Richards, Gary Todd, Bill Castle, Colin Dawson, David Paquette, Bob Barnard etc.

If that wasn't enough his work is featured in two Imago Film Productions, with: "Der Lügner" (1995) and "A Few Moves" (1996).

Discography:
Watch Out, Me, My Old Grand Dad & Mr Todd, Fats Enough, Lhotzky, Just You, Just Me, Elmau Stride Projekt, Duos with Trevor Richards, Sophisticated, Stridin' High, Harlem Reflections, Harlem Joys, Stride Walk.

SJP Hopes to bring you more of Bernd biography in the very near future and, if you know a little German, his website is well worth a visit!