About

Jonas Ruther is a drummer, composer & photographer based in Zürich.

In Ruther's world, drumming is a form of communication rooted in deep listening. His playing is less about time signatures and pre-set dramaturgy than it is about flow: the direct transmission of energy. It's also about creating synergy with other players, audience included. He compares his style to that of a versatile saxophone player because his playing is built around lines, not rhythm mechanics.

What he's after are the intangibles. He believes that subtle energies can be tapped into and transmitted musically or that music can supersede its constituent parts. Or that the gap between players and listeners can dissolve entirely.

He describes the effect of his playing as the equivalent of a deep pu-erh tea — where the most important element is not really a factor of the senses. The Chinese call it hui gan (回甘), or returning sweetness: the subtle, lingering sensation you are left with after you've finished your drink.

His drumming can be heard on over thirty records and in three films. He believes in the old idea of the band as a collective, where the sum is greater than its parts. As a bandleader he tours with his own collective projects.He performs in intimate venues and on international festival stages including Montreux Jazz, Moers Festival and Jazzfestival Willisau, and has toured North and South America, China, India, Russia, South Africa and all across Europe.

He has worked with internationally acclaimed musicians across jazz, improvised and contemporary music.

From 2015 to 2025 he worked as a curator enriching the live music scene in Zürich.