Each month, we spotlight up-and-coming jazz artists from Austria as part of the “5 Million Pesos” series — a monthly concert and radio broadcast dedicated to young jazz in and from Austria, presented by Radiokulturhaus Vienna and the Ö1 Jazz Department. For March, the spotlight shines on pianist Anna Sophia Defant and her project s:e.
Anna Sophia Defant’s S:e
Concert: FRI. | March 20, 2026 | 8:00 p.m. | Studio 3
Broadcast: Ö1-Jazznacht, April 11/12, 2026 (Presented by Marlene Schnedl)
As part of the series for young jazz in and from Austria, pianist Anna Sophia Defant presents herself with her quartet s:e.
Pianist Anna Sophia Defant comes from Saalfelden and gained inspiring impressions early on at the local jazz festival, one of the most important in Austria. She studied classical piano at the Vienna University of Music and then turned to free improvisation via contemporary music and avant-garde jazz:
Defant, who also practices as a trained doctor, currently indulges in this with the quartet S:e (pronounced “See”), which she leads and which includes renowned stars of the Viennese scene such as tenor saxophonist Jakob Gnigler, guitarist Kenji Herbert, and drummer Michael Prowaznik.
S:e’s self-titled debut album was released in 2025 by Unit Records in Switzerland. It features dense and consistent improvisational collectives with wonderfully evocative titles such as “Die bessere Bergwiese” (The Better Mountain Meadow) and “Heuschreckendebattierclub” (Grasshopper Debate Club).
In collaboration with the Ö1 jazz editorial team.