Paul Wiltgen

I grew up in the countryside in Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in Europe. I grew up with a lot of classical music, playing the cello for a long time as well as classical percussion. I learned about jazz much later and started playing the drums.

It is the music that brought me to one of the greatest places on this planet, New York City. I lived there for 7 years. I got my bachelors and my masters at Manhattan School of Music and graduated in May 2006. Now, back in Europe and living in Paris, I'm a musician trying to grow as an artist and make a difference in the world of music.

There are a few groups I'm currently working with: my own project, The Paul Wiltgen Group, which will release a new album in 2011; The TransAtlantic Collective, a new contemporary jazz ensemble, whose members consist of emerging artists from both New York City and London, ("Traveling Song" out on Woodville Records, UK); The Paislies, a collaboration of young musicians in New York City, which released an album on Fresh Sound New Talent Records; the Franz von Chossy Trio, an amazing Amsterdam-based pianist and composer ("Stranger walked by" to be released in Dec '09); I also play with New York vibraphonist Tim Collins, New Orleans/New York-based guitarist Brian Seeger, Cologne-based guitarist Riaz Khabirpour, etc...

I've now been married for over three years to the most amazing Annie McCormack. She is my other half and I see an amazing future ahead of us. Look out for her music, there is stuff in the making!!!!

My family lives in Luxembourg (my parents, 2 sisters and my brother). I'm so thankful and blessed to have them and to have their full support at all times.

Another big part of me and an important guidance in everything I'm doing is my strong believe in the Baha'i faith. The religion is about 160 years old and comes from what used to be Persia. It was founded by the prophet Baha'u'llah. Today, as the youngest world religion, the Baha'i faith is present in over 200 countries. One of the many ideas in the Baha'i faith, which I find myself most attracted to, is the concept of progressive revelation. Meaning, that all divine revelations come from the same Source (God, or whatever you wanna call it); thus, the religions identified with them are in essence one. They differ in the measure of their teachings and particularly in their social laws and principles, appropriate to the times in which they appeared. The successive divine Revelations over the centuries have provided the spiritual force, laws and guidance for the advancement of civilization. Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad (and others) were all divine Messengers. We Baha'is believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent and his revelation, the guidance for our time. Check it out, it is pretty amazing!!

.