David Giesel

David Giesel is a German drummer, composer, and bandleader based in Basel, active in jazz, pop, and improvised music.

Originally from the Freiburg area, he completed his bachelor’s degree in 2023 at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, studying with Eckhard Stromer, Fabian Arends, and Rainer Tempel. In 2021, he was awarded the Deutschlandstipendium for outstanding achievement. He earned his Master’s degree in Performance and Music Education in 2025 at the renowned Jazzcampus Basel, where he studied with Jeff Ballard, Jorge Rossy, Larry Grenadier, Paulo Almeida, and received composition training from Guillermo Klein.

As the founder of Larceny, Giesel leads a forward-thinking ensemble that won the Playground Competition at JazzOpen Stuttgart in 2025, performing at the Altes Schloss Stuttgart as the opening act for Gregory Porter. The group has released the EP Shapes (2022) and the album Crosscurrent (2023) on XJAZZ!MUSIC Berlin, and performed at the jazzahead! Clubnight 2024 in Bremen as part of the "Clubnight BW" showcase.

As a sideman, he has contributed to projects including the Lukas Wögler Quartett (Alba, Plastic Jazz) and the Simon Bremen Quartett (Reflections on Predictability, Unit Records). He is also a member of the Noah Diemer Trio, showcasing his versatility in modern small group settings.

Giesel has performed at major festivals such as JazzOpen Stuttgart, Jazzweek Regensburg, the Freiburg Jazz Festival, and Stuttgart Winterjazz, and has toured extensively in Germany and abroad (including Denmark, Switzerland, Romania, and Finland). He has appeared alongside artists like Volker Engelbert, Fola Dada, Christoph Neuhaus, Arne Huber, Stefan Karl Schmid, Achim Kaufmann, and Philip Dizack.

He continues to develop his artistic voice through lessons and masterclasses with Jochen Rueckert, John Riley, Ari Hoenig, Gregory Hutchinson, Ofri Nehemya, James Maddren, Kweku Sumbry, and Kendrick Scott.