Biography

Pascal studied classical percussion, jazz vibraphone and musicology at music conservatories in Luxembourg, Strasbourg, Brussels and The Hague. He holds a Master’s Degree in musicology from the Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg, and another in music with a focus on jazz vibraphone from the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague. He has won many awards, including the Belgian Django d’Or (2005), Music:LX (2012), ECHO Jazz (2012), JTI Trier Jazz (2014), was selected for the Rising Stars program organized by the European Concert Hall Organization (2009 / 10) and appeared as soloist in ECHO Klassik 2017 awarded project Überbach.

He played with many of exciting musicians such Francesco Tristano, Bachar Mar-Khalifé, Jef Neve, Maxime Delpierre, Kenny Barron & Magic Malik, wrote music for theater and film and leaded a jazz quartet. Today he mixes emotional classical music with minimal electronic sounds, although Schumacher himself considers each classification obsolete. To him, music is a single, limitless playground. 

In 2018, Pascal Schumacher began developing solo material. This marked a new direction, leading to his debut solo album, SOL, released by Neue Meister in June 2020. SOL explores Schumacher's connection to solitude and intimacy with the vibraphone. In 2022, he followed it with LUNA, a more intricate work involving compositions for the Belgian post-classical ensemble Echo Collective. While SOL reflects spontaneity, LUNA adds layered textures, and together, they form a complementary duality, like day merging into night.

In 2023, Pascal embarked on a transformative chapter in his career with a triptych inspired by Philip Glass. The journey began with GLASS ONE, a solo EP released in early 2024, which bridges his LUNA and SOL albums and features the music of Philip Glass. The second installment, GLASS TWO, released in November 2024 with pianist Danae Dörken, is a full album that interweaves compositions by both Glass and Pascal. The final part of this series is planned for 2026 and will be an orchestral album. - Pascal’s music has long drawn comparisons to that of Philip Glass, and this series offers him a deeper study of form and spirituality in composition. These two elements bring trancelike qualities to the music, allowing listeners to be transported through a profound and immersive experience.

Alongside his Glass projects, Pascal rediscovered his passion for improvisational and jazz-infused music in 2023 by forming the trio SINGÜLAR with Sebastian Studnitzky on piano, keys and trumpet and Edward Perraud on drums and electronics. This trio, offering the perfect counterbalance to his Glass work, is set to release new music in 2025. For Pascal, collaborating with Sebastian and Edward marks the start of a creative mileston: the three share an intuitive, trust-filled connection that resonates deeply with each other and with their audiences.

Pascal is a Yamaha Artist and a Professor for Jazz and Classical Percussion at the Conservatoire de Musique de Luxembourg. - He is the Artistic Director of the innovative 'Reset' Music Festival at Abbaye Neimenster and an Ambassador for SOS Children's Villages International - Luxembourg.