Mathias Rüegg (born 8 December 1952)[1] is a European musician, composer, and bandleader best known as founder and director of the Vienna Art Orchestra from 1977 to 2010.
[1] Rüegg's distinctive, often humorous compositions have drawn on a range of influences, from traditional folk music to classics.
Besides the traditional big-band complement, his orchestrations have prominently featured such instruments as the tuba, piccolo, bass clarinet, alphorn, exotic percussion, and wordless vocals.
Besides managing the VAO, Rüegg has conducted workshops in Europe, worked as artistic director for music festivals, and headed multimedia and music-related projects.
Rüegg founded the Porgy & Bess music club in Vienna and the Hans Koller Prize for Austrian jazz.