Pianist Franz von Chossy was born in Munich, where he started playing the piano as a six-year-old. Through his mother he came to know classical music and his Ukrainian grandmother encouraged him to play folk music on the accordion. Von Chossy moved to the Netherlands to study at the conservatory of Amsterdam with Rob Madna, Karel Boehlee and Rob van Bavel in 1999. With his trio (bass player Sean Fasciani and drummer Flin van Hemmen) he recorded a debut CD, Awakening, that contains impressionist jazz with which he pays tribute to Ravel and Debussy as well as to Keith Jarrett. This album set tongues wagging, and that is an honor that only befalls talented musicians. The Franz von Chossy Trio, winner of the Dutch Jazz Competition 2006, was among the finalists at the EBU European Jazz Competition 2007.
