Born in Tettnang, Germany, guitarist/composer Matthias Ockert moved to Berlin to study with Costa Lukazc and Carlo Inderhees. On the Berlin Jazz scene, he performed at Quasimodo, Schlot and Franz-Club, and started the Berlin Jazz Guitar and Minta/Ockert Duos and the Ockert/Irving/Koch Jazz Trio. He went on to the US to study with Attila Zoller and Bill Connors and attended jazz workshops with Pat Martino and John Abecrombie. Working on a Master’s Degree in Composition with Wolfgang Rihm at the University of Music in Karlsruhe, Germany, Matthias writes music for tape, computer, solo instruments, ensembles, choir and film. His compositions were performed at The Academy of Arts in Berlin, the ZKM Center for Arts and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany and the Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival. His music for the film "Silent Room" was performed at the International Film Festival in Munich in 2003. He won the first place prize at the International Composition Competition 2004 for the Room of the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany with his composition entitled "Diaphaneity." Using Inbild/Abbild v3 for electric guitar, drums and live-electronics, he performed at the International Summer Courses for New Music 2004 at Darmstadt, Germany. Simmer Music released Matthias Ockert’s CD Survey in 2003.