Deep sorrow as ensemble founder’s body is dragged from the Rhine

Thirty-three days after he went missing, police in Basel have confirmed that a body washed up by the Rhine is that of Daniel Buess, percussionist and co-founder of Ensemble Phoenix Basel.

Daniel, 40, was last seen on the night of February 7 in the Kleinbasler restaurant district after a celebration.

Well-known and well-liked in contemporary music groups, Daniel co-founded EPB in 1998 with the  conductor and pianist Jürg Henneberger and flute player Christoph Bösch. Their favourite venue for world premieres was the city’s Gare du Nord.

The guitarist Maurizio Grandinetti writes:

The percussionist doesn’t talk much behind his monster sets of every possible material that produce sounds when hit.
The percussionist never complains and plays every rehearsal like there is no tomorrow, every sound so intense as it would be the most important and never saves his energy for later.
I’ve been standing close to the percussionist over the years in so many concerts, exchanging so much… Our communication was just music, no words. And work, hard work. It won’t be the same ever again, but we will carry on playing all notes as if there were no tomorrow. Missing Daniel Buess.