Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic

This season, we are celebrating ten years of Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic: ten years of world and eclectic jazz with its finger on the pulse. The series starts with a tribute to the Polish pianist and composer Krzysztof Komeda, a key figure of European jazz who died at the early age of 37. Joachim Kühn had been an admirer of Komeda ever since he met him at the famous Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw in 1965 and joined him in the recording studio afterwards. He now recalls this visionary artist – solo, in a trio with Chris Jennings and Eric Schaefer, and with the Polish Atom String Quartet.

Three Fantastic Women take centre stage in December. First, there is the Icelandic, Stockholm-based pianist and singer Anna Gréta, who continues the tradition of pop-oriented Nordic jazz in her own style. Then there is the Estonian singer Kadri Voorand, who comes from folk music and has quickly become the most renowned jazz musician in her country.

Entitled Veneziana, the Finnish pianist and famous jazz eclectic Iiro Rantala and members of the Berliner Philharmoniker dedicate their mid-season concert to the great musical tradition of Venice. This is followed by the continuation of one of the most important jazz projects on the heritage of our European musical folklore: the young Berlin saxophonist and composer Fabia Mantwill performs a world premiere with her orchestra, Europeana II, which builds on a star-studded album of the same name from 1994. The grand finale belongs to Germany's most popular jazz pianist Michael Wollny. The innovative master of multiple styles devotes himself to the composer György Ligeti and meets his classical music colleague and proven Ligeti specialist Pierre-Laurent Aimard.