Nils Ostendorf was born 1977 in Hamburg. He studied trumpet at the Folkwang Conservatory in Essen where he was rewarded with the Folkwang Price in 2000 and obtained scholarships from the german ministry for culture and the DAAD for ongoing personal studies in New York and the Banff Centre for the arts.

Nils has developed a very individual approach on his instrument, exploring the wide range between notes and noise by generating frequencies using an extended embouchure technique, different mutes or vibrating surfaces. He is influenced by natural sounds, contemporary music and electronic music.

Nils is active in various settings of improvised music, beside “The Silencers” in a Duo with saxophone player Michel Doneda, in the duo “Trigger” with Matthias Müller, a trio with pianist Philip Zoubek and reed player Philippe Lauzier and in duo with Kim Myhr and changing guests.

He has toured throughout Europe, U.S. and Canada, and played on various festivals like Moers Festival, November Music and Fri Resonans.

Nils works also as a performer, composer, musical director and producer for theatre and dance pieces, mainly with the german director Thomas Ostermeier at the Schaubühne Berlin and the Münchner Kammerspiele.

Nils appears on the following SOFA-releases

Silencers «Balances des Blancs» (trumpet)