Guitarist and composer Werner Tian Fischer grew up at the foot of the Swiss Alps a little while before video killed the radio star. During the 1990s, he performed with the widely acclaimed folk-pop group STARFISH throughout Switzerland and Northern Europe before leaving for Boston to widen his jazzy horizon on the North American East Coast.
Over the past two decades, he initiated the guitar duo ALL STANDARD GUITARS, the FISCHER-WICKIHALDER JAZZ COALITION, the transatlantic octet SAM TRUEMPY MEMORIAL and most importantly, his jazz unit TRAVELOGUE. From 2008 until 2012, he was also a member of the Mya Audrey Trio.
In 2010/11, Werner resided as house guitarist at the legendary CD Blues Café in Beijing and regularly performed with the Big John Blues Band as well as the Beijing Jungle Big Band. He went on tour with TRAVELOGUE in China and Europe - featuring Swedish singer Sophie Dunér and Swiss saxophonist Jürg Wickihalder - to promote their seminal album Chinese Soul. They have carried on as a working unit with slightly changed line-ups and released two more albums in recent years: The Light Is On in 2016 and Foreclosure in 2018.
Between 2004 and 2017, he played over 120 concerts on tours all over China. Among them: Heilongjiang and Beijing in 2004; Beijing Olympic Games in 2008; MIDI Festivals in Beijing and Shanghai in 2011; Beijing International Blues Festival in 2011, 2012, 2013 (with guitarist Shun Kikuta) and 2014; Grammy All Stars in Chengdu in 2013; The Ordos World Music Carnival (Inner Mongolia) and The Xixia Music Festivals in Zhongwei & Yinchuan (Ningxia) in 2014 (with The Big John Blues Band); The Chinese Alliance of Performing Artists' Conference in Beijing in 2017 (with Zhang Ling).
In June 2013, he was part of the international backing band led by Zhang Ling that performed with Diane Schuur, Pattie Austin, Yolanda Adams, Jody Watley, Shawn Colvin, Rodney Crowell, Richard Marx, Leo Sayer, Michael Bolton, Song Zuying, Tan Jing and Lang Lang in the spectacular '2013 Night of Fortune Grammy Superstars' at Chengdu's Olympic Stadium: "12 very diverse artists. GREAT international band. 48000 people sitting in the pouring rain - a wonderful show! Lots of speeches, toasting, superlatives, and laughter." (Rodney Crowell)
He has played on over forty recordings, published several articles and books on the History of Jazz in Switzerland and also 'Chinese Soul', a pop novella based on his Chinese experience.
Werner currently teaches Guitar and Ensemble at Musikschule der Stadt Luzern. He also gives lectures on the History of Jazz for Pro Senectute Luzern.
