Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic Piano Night

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic »Berlin ‒ Berlin«

In homage to a city where so much is possible: All three ensembles in this concert have their artistic home in Berlin – and also enjoy successful international careers. Singer Lucia Cadotsch and her trio ‘Speak Low’ captivate with their gentle, feather-light, unpretentious music, while the quartet of pianist and composer Julia Hülsmann is characterised by a style that is both intense and subtle. Kurt Rosenwinkel, who has worked with musicians such as Eric Clapton, Gary Burton and Brad Mehldau, is one of the most important voices on the Berlin and global jazz scene as a guitarist, composer and producer.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic World Jazz

“World Jazz” is the theme of this concert – because the performers come from very different countries: Swedish pianist Joel Lyssarides and American drummer Hamid Drake meet Greek musician Georgios Prokopiou, a virtuoso on the long-necked lute bouzouki, as well as Moroccan gimbri player Majid Bekkas and French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê. The five musicians, who are at home both in the traditional music of their respective homelands and in jazz, unite the most diverse musical influences on this evening to create a sound that spans the globe.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic “Italian night” with Stefano Bollani

When Stefano Bollani interprets the hit song “O sole mio”, all languor and indulgence disappears. Instead, you hear light-footed, astonishing imagination. Now the pianist, who is at home in both jazz and classical music, celebrates the music of his homeland for an entire Italian night. There will be well-known melodies, virtuosic improvisation, and imaginative arrangements with plenty of humour. Stefano Bollani is joined by clarinettist Gabriele Mirabassi, guitarist Matteo Mancuso, trumpeter Luca Aquino and singer Valentina Cenni.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic Jazz & Poetry ‒ Birgit Minichmayr sings Shakespeare

Shakespeare and jazz – do they go together? Absolutely! Especially when jazz pianist Bernd Lhotzky sets the English writer’s sonnets to music and Birgit Minichmayr performs them. She lends her dark, expressive voice to the music of tango, gospel. The world-music jazz quartet Quadro Nuevo, acclaimed for its melancholy warmth, will help to envelope the Renaissance poet’s texts in an intense, contemporary sound.

Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic “Europeana” – a jazz homage to the European idea

The season finale of our Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic series is entitled Europeana and commemorates the end of the war and liberation from National Socialism 80 years ago – a celebration of the European idea. Artists will include the NDR Bigband with Geir Lysne, bringing the traditional big band sound creatively and innovatively into the present; the legendary Joachim Kühn on piano; and the vision string quartet, whose background is in classical music, but who have taken this opportunity to celebrate their passion for jazz. You can expect to breathtaking solos from saxophonist Émile Parisien and trombonist Nils Landgren, who will also be singing.

Jazz at its best

Peter Gall, a renowned German drummer, composer, and bandleader, pushes boundaries with his insightful and personal approach to music. His new songs tell stories, create dreamy collages, and explore fascinating musical galaxies. Joined by an all-star cast of European musicians, including Wanja Slavin, Reinier Baas, Rainer Böhm, and Matthias Pichler, they blend jazz, fusion, indie, melancholy, and hypnotic beats, captivating audiences with their brilliance and musicality.

Jazz at its best

jazz at its best

Award-Winning Israeli pianist and composer, Hila Kulik is one of the most active performers on the worldwide Jazz scene. Kulik, an impressive performer, is a graduate of the prestigious Jerusalem Academy (Israel), and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College (New York). She has shared the stage, recorded, and toured the world with some of today’s greatest jazz musicians including: Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Hart, Wayne Tucker, Donald Harrison, and more. Her new album “More Than A Change” is a presentation of her own original music. Influenced by Swing, Jazz, and Soul along with hints of middle eastern rhythms and classical harmony.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & Wynton Marsalis

It goes without saying that The Concertgebouw and jazz & pop music make a perfect combination. The stages of both the Main Hall and the Recital Hall have borne witness to nearly the whole of jazz history. Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald have both performed here, as have Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Famous pop stars and bands that have graced the stage of the Main Hall include Frank Zappa, the Doors and the Eagles, to name but a few. Legendary concerts, in the present as well as the past.

Ensemble NIGHT

The landscape of Nepal stretches from tropical plains to the icy, sublime peaks of the Himalayas. Its music possesses a similarly exciting diversity. The Ensemble NIGHT brings out these hidden treasures located between rural folklore, Indian echoes and spiritual colouring. The quintet was formed in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in 2006 by singer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Kunwar. After an initial phase as a metal band, the musicians decided to explore and preserve the cultural cosmos of the country’s more than 100 ethnic groups and languages. Accompanied by intensive field research trips to remote villages, they have developed a repertoire in which old songs and almost lost instruments come back into play. These include the paluwa flute made from fresh leaves, the three-stringed sarangi covered with sheepskin, and the Tamang stringed instrument known as the tungna. The ensemble also writes new songs based on its deep understanding of traditional music. This »new school folk« tells of spirituality as well as depicting the hardships of life in the countryside. The ensemble also documents its work on film – giving Nepal an opportunity to pass on its exciting heritage to future generations and to the world at large.