Hans Kennel was born in Schwyz in 1939 and trained as a classical trumpet player at the conservatoires of Fribourg and Zurich. A celebrated jazz pioneer in the 1960s who appeared with greats like Kenny Clarke, George Gruntz and Irène Schweizer, he led his own internationally renowned jazz band called Habarigani Brass. Two decades later, Kennel, the scion of a family of famous Schwyz folk musicians, started to delve into his home region’s heritage.

He formed the alphorn quartet Mytha and the band Alpine Jazz Herd (later renamed Alpine Experience), both of which became trailblazers of the new folk movement in the 1990s with their mix of traditional sounds and jazz virtuosity. In addition to the trumpet, Kennel also plays the alphorn and sings. His work was honoured with the Central Switzerland Culture Award in 1998.