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Misha Mengelberg (1935-2017) was a Dutch jazz pianist and composer, born in Kiev to a family of musicians. He began piano lessons at age five and showed prodigious talent in chess as well. After studying architecture briefly, he entered the Royal Conservatory in The Hague (1958-1964), where he won prizes and became associated with Fluxus. Early influences included Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and John Cage. Mengelberg gained recognition for his free improvisation, humor, and interpretations of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols' work. He won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1961 and recorded with Eric Dolphy in 1964. That same year, he formed a quartet with Han Bennink and Piet Noordijk, playing at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966. In 1967, Mengelberg co-founded the Instant Composers Pool (ICP) with Bennink and Willem Breuker, promoting avant-garde Dutch jazz. He also co-founded STEIM in Amsterdam in 1969. Throughout his career, he collaborated with notable musicians like Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, and Anthony Braxton. Mengelberg's work included compositions for others, often allowing room for improvisation, and music theatre productions featuring absurdist humor. He passed away in Amsterdam in 2017 at the age of 81.
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