After graduating from the Gymnasium Hohenbaden Baden-Baden [de] he began studying at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen in the piano class of Prof. Till Engel.

His first recording, a performance of The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, a large-scale set of variations by the American composer Frederic Rzewski on a Chilean revolutionary song, was made the same year and released by Wergo.

The album received good reviews both nationally and internationally and was awarded the "Star of the Month" (Stern des Monats) by Fono Forum [de] magazine.

[1] Kai Schumacher later reprised his performance as part of a live 'art action' organized by Friedrich von Borries [de] in Berlin and at the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste in München (Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts).

In 2013, he released his second album "Transcriptions" featuring his original arrangements of grunge, heavy metal, and indie rock songs for solo piano.