Jonathan Salvi
was born on September 24, 1993 in Neuchâtel. Thanks to his father, a passionate music fan, he was able to listen to African-American and Jamaican music from a young age. Classical music did not play any role in his home. He began to drum in the style of the great Basel Carnival tradition when he was 10. At the age of 15, he decided to study classical percussion – and had to "first forget everything I had learned from the drum tradition". He listened increasingly to jazz at that time and discovered the appeal of improvisation. The key album for him at that time was "Köln Concert" by Keith Jarrett, and his key experience was a duo performance, which he initiated with a solo improvisation lasting several minutes. Because he also wanted to play melodies, Jonathan Salvi switched to the vibraphone via the xylophone. After school, he first wanted to try out whether he had what it takes to pursue further education at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. And he immediately gained a foothold there. From the very beginning, he put together his own bands: duos, trios and quartets. He played his final exam concert with a trio plus string quartet.