About

For 25 years, Mathias Reumert has distinguished himself as a multi-percussion virtuoso as well as a visionary ensemble leader and album producer. He performs regularly with his own ensembles, the Mathias Reumert Group, the Reumert/Elten Percussion Duo and Atomar, as well as with the Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, of which he is a long-serving member.

Early in his career he received First Prizes at competitions including the Concours International de Vibraphone 2002, the Percussive Arts Society's International Solo Competition 2004, and the Gaudeamus International Interpreters Award 2007.

In 2023, Reumert founded Ekkozone Records, releasing six major albums, including the Danish Radio P2 Prize-winning album, Roger Reynolds: Wind Concertos. In 2025, Ekkozone Records was sold to First Inversion in an effort to expand the reach of the label, with Mathias continuing as Artistic Advisor.

Currently, Mathias is the percussionist for the major production of Chess at Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen.

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Reumert made his debut on CD in Poul Ruders’ Percussion Concerto, Monodrama, conducted by Thomas Søndergård, a disc that received praise in several publications, including in the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. This release was followed by a large number of recordings of works for solo percussion by composers such as Xenakis, Stockhausen, Ferneyhough, Donatoni, Henze, Globokar, Reynolds and Jodlowski.

The DVD, Mathias Reumert: Solo (Percussion Meets Art Cinema), which consists of works for solo percussion and performance art, marks an artistic highpoint. 'Solo' garnered top reviews in Danish and international magazines and was described by Denmark’s largest nationwide newspaper, Politiken, as "nothing short of ground-breaking" and "a colossal achievement" (18/2-2016).

Mathias Reumert Group is a continuation of the crossover ensemble Ekkozone, which Reumert formed in 2013 and led to international recognition. In order to enable greater touring activity, the number of musicians was reduced in 2023 and the band name changed to Mathias Reumert Group. On the same occasion, Ekkozone Records was established.

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As a conductor, Reumert has led performances of major works such as Boulez's Le Marteau sans maître, Xenakis's EONTA and Per Nørgård's Violin Concerto, Borderlines. In 2023, he conducted the premiere of Roger Reynolds' oboe concerto, Journey, with the Esbjerg Ensemble and soloist Jacqueline Leclair. 

He has composed works for the Funen Opera, Danish Dance Theater and the ballet at the Hannover Staatsoper. Together with his colleague David Hildebrandt, Reumert created and spent three years performing in the science fiction spectacle Ein Trommelspiel, concluding its run with performances at Moscow’s esteemed Meyerhold Theater (2013).

In addition to his own ensembles, Reumert serves as percussionist in Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, Denmark's national ensemble for new music. To date, he has premiered over 150 new works with Athelas.

Reumert holds degrees from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied with Steven Schick. He is the recipient of the Danish Arts Foundation’s Den Unge Elite grant and the Danish Music Critics’ Prize.

PHOTOS BY
Top of page: Christian Bonke
Thumbnails: Christoffer Askman, Alexander Banck-Petersen, Caroline Bittencourt, Tzara Tristana, KLANG Festival

Mathias Reumert har i 20 år markeret sig som virtuos slagtøjsspiller samt visionær ensembleleder og albumproducer. Han optræder jævnligt med sine egne ensembler, Mathias Reumert Group, Reumert/Elten Percussion Duo og Atomar, samt med Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, som han er mangeårigt medlem af.

Tidligt i sin karriere modtog han førstepriser ved konkurrencer, herunder Concours International de Vibraphone 2002, Percussive Arts Society's International Solo Competition 2004 og Gaudeamus International Interpreters Award 2007.

Han grundlagde Ekkozone Records i 2023 og udgav i løbet af de næste to år seks store albums på pladeselskabet, herunder Wind Concertos, som modtog P2 Prisen 2024 - 'De 5 bedste'. Ekkozone Records blev derefter solgt til First Inversion med henblik på at udvide selskabets "reach" og med Mathias i en rådgivende rolle.

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Reumert vandt 1.-priser ved tre internationale konkurrencer (Concours International de Vibraphone 2002; PASIC Solo Competition 2004; Gaudeamus Interpreters’ Competition 2007) og debuterede derefter på CD med Poul Ruders’ slagtøjskoncert Monodrama, dirigeret af Thomas Søndergård – en udgivelse som blev fremhævet af bl.a. New York Times og Philadelphia Inquirer. Siden fulgte et stort antal indspilninger af værker for soloslagtøj af komponister som Xenakis, Stockhausen, Ferneyhough, Donatoni, Henze, Globokar, Reynolds og Jodlowski.

DVD’en Mathias Reumert: Solo (Percussion Meets Art Cinema), som består af slagtøjsværker og avantgarde performancekunst, markerer et kunstnerisk højdepunkt. 'Solo' høstede topanmeldelser i danske og internationale tidsskrifter og blev af Politiken betegnet som “intet mindre end banebrydende” og “en kolossal bedrift” (18/2-2016).

Mathias Reumert Group er en videreførelse af crossover-ensemblet Ekkozone, som Reumert dannede i 2013 og førte til international anerkendelse. For at muliggøre større turnéaktivitet blev antallet af musikere reduceret i 2023 og bandnavnet ændret til Mathias Reumert Group. Ved samme lejlighed blev pladeselskabet Ekkozone Records oprettet.

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Som dirigent har Reumert stået i spidsen for opførelser af mesterværker som Boulez’ Le Marteau sans maître, Xenakis’ EONTA og Per Nørgård’s violinkoncert, Borderlines. I 2023 dirigerede han uropførelsen af Roger Reynolds’ obokoncert Journey med Esbjerg Ensemble og solist Jacqueline Leclair.

Han har komponeret værker til Den Fynske Opera, Dansk Danseteater og balletten ved Hannover Staatsoper. Sammen med kollegaen David Hildebrandt skabte han science fiction-forestillingen Et Trommespil, som de opførte 2010-2013 på danske og udenlandske scener, afslutningsvis på det estimerede Meyerhold Teater i Moskva.

Ved siden af sine egne ensembler er Reumert slagtøjsspiller i Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, Danmarks nationale ensemble for ny kompositionsmusik. Han har til dato uropført over 150 værker med Athelas.

Reumert tog diplomeksamen ved DKDM og videreuddannede sig hos professor Steven Schick ved University of California, San Diego. Han har modtaget Statens Kunstfonds Den Unge Elite-legat og Musikanmelderringens Kunstnerpris samt en række mindre priser.

“En karismatisk solist med et fabelagtigt teknisk overskud”

[A charismatic soloist with an out-of-this-world technical ability]

– Klassisk, Sept. 2016

“Reumert is extraordinary…a masterful exponent, someone with impressive technique and poetic interpretive skills, and a real dramatic, theatrical flair.”

— Gapplegate Music Review, Feb. 2016

“Mathias Reumert is a true master percussionist as well as something of an entertainer”

— Fanfare Magazine, March 2016

“Manoury could hardly ask for a finer performer of his music than Mathias Reumert”.

– Fanfare Magazine, July/Aug 2023