THE WORLD OF PERCUSSION
Reto
Weber
Musician · Composer · Bandleader
Upcoming Concerts
LIVE
- 01Dec
2026India Tour – Chico Freeman – Reto Weber
Jazzfestival Kolkatta, New Delhi, Bangalore · until 10 Dec 2026
- 19Dec
2026OFRENDA – Tanzperformance mit Reto Weber Percussion
Theater Biotop, Biel/Bienne
- 19Dec
2026Chico Freeman – Reto Weber
Trinidad Festival · until 24 Dec 2026
Journal
NEWS
09 Sep 2026
Drum Song
\IF YOU WANT THE RECORDS TO BE SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE SLEEVE, PLEASE LEAVE A NOTE WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER\ \This is a pre-order; shipping begins in early December 2026\ Includes a digital pre-order of Controlled Risk. You receive 4 tracks immediately (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC, and more), plus the complete album when it is released. Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz Ships on or around December 2, 2026 Pre-order vinyl for €29 EUR or more Send as a gift Digital track Streaming and download Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC, and more. Download available in 16-bit/44.1kHz Buy the digital track for €1.50 EUR or more Send as a gift Pre-order the complete digital album Credits From Controlled Risk, to be released on December 2, 2026
31 Mar 2026
2026: New Music with Reto Weber in Preparation
Chico Freeman’s Exotica (Chico Freeman / Karin Nakagawa / Svante Henryson / Reto Weber) Shake Shuttle and Blow Bruno Spoerri / Christy Doran / Gabriela Martina / Reto Weber (CD / Vinyl) The Human Orchestra (Kenny Mohammed / Nino G / Michel Alibo / Alex Wilson / Reto Weber) (CD / Vinyl)
10 Nov 2025
Chemirani & Reto Weber – Rhythm as a Universal Language
When two musicians meet who understand rhythm not as accompaniment but as a language, something timeless emerges. So it was with Djamchid Chemirani and Reto Weber—two masters of percussion, two cultures that came together in a shared pulse. Chemirani, the Persian zarb virtuoso, brought to Weber’s Percussion Orchestra a depth and meditative power rooted in the Iranian musical tradition. Weber, a Swiss percussionist with an open ear for sounds from around the world, created a space in which this art encountered African, Indian, and European rhythms. Since the late 1970s, Djamchid Chemirani had been one of the ensemble’s defining members. Together with Reto Weber, Famoudou Konaté, Muthuswamy Balasubramoniam, and others, he combined the freedom of improvisation with rhythmic patterns thousands of years old. Their concerts—at Jazzfest Berlin or in Montreux, for example—became dialogues between continents: not an exotic crossover, but a genuine encounter. Chemirani brought a voice to the Western jazz world that was both calm and powerful. His zarb told stories of the desert and of silence—and found a natural resonance in Weber’s ensemble. “We don’t play pieces—we talk to one another.” — Reto Weber on working with Djamchid Chemirani. Today, their music remains a testament to the possibility of understanding without words—in the shared breath of rhythm.
Listen to Reto Weber
Discover the sound of Reto Weber.
Face-To-Face
The artist
A lifetime of rhythm
Born in 1953 in Solothurn, Reto Weber is one of the leading figures in contemporary percussion and improvised music.
Since launching his solo career in 1973, he has performed in more than 100 countries and appears on over 45 records — from Montreux and Willisau to New York, Mumbai, Dakar and Havana. His work is marked by stylistic openness, rhythmic innovation and a unique sonic identity.
Discography
Latest recordings
1999 · PANArt
The story behind the Hang
“A sounding pot in steel with some notes to play with the hands.”
In 1999, Swiss percussionist Reto Weber provided a key impulse that contributed to the development of the Hang. Created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer of PANArt in Bern, the instrument went on to inspire musicians around the world.
Edition Clandestine · 2023
DRUMMIN’
A Life in Rhythm
A personal journey through Reto Weber's musical life — floods in the front row, Bach for East German border guards, a hut in Africa. Every copy can carry a personal dedication.
- Book + Tote BagUSD 40
