The fact that Bill Petry's musical horizon has never been limited to jazz alone is not only demonstrated by his preference for compositions by pop acts or singer-songwriters, which fit seamlessly into his repertoire in a stylistically astonishing way. He has also worked as a soloist alongside international jazz greats such as Riccardo Del Fra, Billy Hart and Till Brönner and across genres with award-winning and internationally acclaimed musicians such as Daniel Hope and Lisa Batiashvili. 

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Born and raised as the son of parents from the artist and squatter scene of West Berlin, Bill Petry came into contact with his parents' record collection at an early age, which would lay an important foundation for his aesthetic sensibility. Soon, he began to learn the melodies he heard on the piano as a self-taught musician and composed his first pieces.

 

From the age of 8, Bill Petry was a member of the State and Cathedral Choir Berlin under the direction of Prof. Christian Grube and his successor, Prof. Kai-Uwe Jirka, at the University of the Arts (UdK) Berlin. He participated in performances of the St. Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio, among others, and took part in numerous concert tours and TV productions as part of these endeavors.

 

During his school years, Till Brönner recognized his talent and continuously supported him. In addition, he received instruction from Prof. Malte Burba, who quickly became one of his most important mentors. Bill Petry studied trumpet at the Jazz Institute Berlin under the guidance of Prof. Gerard Presencer, and there he also received lessons from Gregoire Peters and Prof. Peter Weniger.

 

Riccardo Del Fra, the Italian bassist and longtime sideman of Chet Baker, called him a true poet who deeply touches his audience. Till Brönner referred to Bill Petry as an exceptional talent with a distinctive style, stating, "I only need to hear two notes, and I know: It's Bill Petry!"

 

As a soloist, Bill Petry collaborated with musicians such as Billy Hart, Riccardo Del Fra, Giovanni Weiss, Daniel Hope, Katharine Mehrling, Lisa Batiashvili, David Lyttle, Lisa Bassenge, Christian von Kaphengst, Till Brönner, and many more.

 

As a composer, he wrote music for Jette Steckel's production of the novel "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. As a trumpeter, Bill Petry already stands as one of the most distinctive representatives of his generation.