Professional
- be
- vd
- zh
Lea Gasser
I am a jazz accordionist, composer and a band leader of different music projects
Professional activities:
- Accordion
- Arrangement
- Composition
- Ensemble direction
- Improvisation
- Live Act
- Music live
- Music teaching
Hobbies and interests:
- Arrangement
- Booking
- Dance
- Piano
- Vocals
Pronouns:
she/her
Lea Gasser is a freelance accordionist and composer who grew up in Zurich. Fascinated by the versatility of her instrument, she lets it take on different roles in various projects and gives it a very personal and intimate expression through her own compositions.
In 2014, the accordionist completed her bachelor's degree in classical music with Teodoro Anzellotti at the HKB in Bern. From 2019-2021, she followed the Master's program in Jazz Performance & Composing at HEMU in Lausanne, with Denis Croisonnier, Matthieu Michel and Philip Henzi.
As leader of her Lea Gasser 5tet, she has been playing her own jazz compositions since 2020. Music that is characterised by catchy and lyrical melodies, cheeky bass lines and dreamy character. The group released its first album "L'Heure Bleue" in 2022, was selected for the "Suisse Diagonales Jazz 2024" festival and won the prestigious ZKB Jazzpreis in 2024. The second album "Circles" got released in october 2025, in collaboration with the label Neuklang. As part of a carte blanche at Bee-flat Bern 2025, the musician created a new solo project in which she enriches the sound of the accordion with effects pedals. She has also launched a new band, Low Drift, bringing Kristina Brunner on cello, Björn Meyer on electric bass and bass mandola, and Sha on bass clarinet on board. Lea is part of the improvisation quintet The Optics – Hässig/Stucki/Gasser/Pärli/Steiner ("The Optics", 2023) as co-leader.