David Helbock – Pianist and Composer

David Helbock is an Austrian pianist and composer born in Vorarlberg in 1984, whose work connects improvisation and composition with a broad range of influences drawn from jazz, classical music, rock and popular culture.

Trained in classical piano at the Feldkirch Conservatory, he also studied for several years with American pianist Peter Madsen, who became a decisive figure in his development as a jazz musician. His work includes projects such as Random/Control, Austrian Syndicate, several trio formations and recordings as a solo pianist.

Helbock has also developed an extensive body of work as a composer. His Personal Realbook emerged from a year-long project in which he wrote one piece every day, ultimately bringing together hundreds of compositions. As a performer, he has received recognition at the Montreux Jazz Festival piano competition and has built an international career encompassing numerous recordings and performances across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Since 2016, he has maintained a recording relationship with ACT Music, releasing projects including Into the Mystic, Tour d’Horizon, Playing John Williams, The New Cool, Playground, Austrian Syndicate and Faces of Night. His discography reflects an open conception of jazz in which repertoire, format and instrumentation continually change without sacrificing a distinct musical identity.