Roger Staffelbach
Roger Staffelbach was born on February 19, 1972 in Sursee, Switzerland. At the age of 7 he started learning to play the trumpet, which he continued until he was 14. Having been a fan of rock from an early age, he then turned to guitar after hearing Yngwie Malmsteen's "Trilogy". A year later, he started playing in bands.
In 1990, Staffelbach studied and took lessons at the Jazz School in Lucerne. It was here that he met Vitalij Kuprij, while Vitalij was playing piano in a bar in Staffelbach's hometown. 3 days later, Artension was formed, though under their former name, "Atlantis Rising". They played several gigs in Switzerland, and recorded two demos in 1993 and 1994. Staffelbach furthermore attended the G.I.T. in California in 94/95, studying with greats like T.J. Helmerich and Tom Kolb. It was there that he met Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records, who showed interest in the band after hearing their demo.
Staffelbach has remained with Artension from the beginning, playing on all their records. Apart from Artension, Roger is taking part in several studio projects in the Swiss area.