He has a penchant for dark, romantic moods. One could easily imagine him as a child of the fantastic 19th century; emotionally, he would feel at home between Schubert, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Franz Anton Mesmer. At the same time, he stands musically in the present. “How can a piano trio sound today?” is the guiding question in his work with his highly praised Working Band. Responses to this can also be found in surprisingly idiosyncratic adaptations of works by Alban Berg to Nick Cave. In art, he is particularly fascinated by the new, even disturbing. But when it fits, Michael Wollny can also sound deeply intimate and familiar.