Portrait Branko Arnsek
Intonation 2009/2

Portrait of Branko Arnšek

If you want to get to know Branko Arnšek, the best place to meet him is in his sparsely but comfortably furnished attic apartment in Stuttgart's east end. It reflects what's most important to him. Concert posters adorn the walls, and the living room doubles as a music room and recording studio.

Over a large cup of latte—brewed according to a recipe from his homeland with mocha and goat's milk—Branko Arnšek recounts the time before music school: Born in Celje, Slovenia, he came to Germany with his parents as a toddler. He grew up in Sindelfingen ("Swabian is my second foreign language").

He realized early on that only education could lift him out of the status of a "guest worker's child." During his school years, he learned to play the recorder and piano, and at sixteen, while still in high school, he founded a jazz band, playing piano himself. The switch to the double bass happened by chance: There were openings at the Sindelfingen Music School, and he was asked to teach.

After graduating from high school, Branko Arnsek completed an apprenticeship as a glass and porcelain painter in Hesse. He hiked through Yugoslavia in 45 days and experienced the incredible hospitality of the people there.

When he became a father, his life as a freelance musician came to an end. Arnsek began studying music, commuting from Stuttgart to Bern, where he enrolled in the jazz program. It was during this time that he began teaching at the Stuttgart Music School.

For twenty years, Branko Arnsek has taught double bass (jazz) and electric bass at the Sindelfingen Music School. He founded and directed various student ensembles, with the salsa band being particularly close to his heart (see Stern). He is also part of the team that manages the recording studio at the Rotebühlplatz community center and directs the recordings there.

Outside of music school, he's also involved in recording. Among other things, he founded his own label, "59music," which was originally intended to help the Gypsy jazz band he plays in gain wider recognition. As a jazz musician, Branko Arnsek performs regularly in various clubs in Stuttgart, but he has also appeared as a classical musician. He is also a permanent member of the Latin band "Tokame."

Holger Spegg