European Jazz Conference

24 to 27 September 2026 - Cologne, Germany

From 24 to 27 September 2026, Cologne will host the European jazz and improvised music community for the first time in Germany. The conference is co-organised by the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) together with three of its members: Stadtgarten Köln, Cologne Jazzweek and the Monheim Triennale.

Registrations are now OPEN on the Eventbrite platform, both for EJN members and for regular participants.

Bringing together more than 200 EJN member organisations from 38 countries alongside many other international professionals, the event will explore the role of jazz and improvised music in fostering societal dialogue, driving cultural innovation and strengthening democratic participation.

Under the guiding title “Who We Are, What We Stand For”, the conference’s discussions and exchange formats are designed to spark dialogue and help shape the future direction of the sector.

A central element of the programme is a showcase festival presenting 13 outstanding projects from the current German jazz scene. The event will also feature the EJN Awards 2026, celebrating individuals and organisations whose work has made a lasting impact on the European jazz landscape.

A Sector in Transition

The creative music sector is currently navigating a period of economic and structural change. Rising costs, evolving funding frameworks and increasing political pressures are reshaping the professional landscape. The European Jazz Conference 2026 provides a platform for professionals to come together, share experience and develop forward-looking strategies, while exploring new approaches to sustain and evolve their work.

Societal Discourse and Professional Perspectives

The conference opens with a keynote speech by British pianist Alexander Hawkins, titled “The authoritarian’s trap, and the virtue of invisibility”. This is followed by a panel debate that will examine the responsibility of cultural institutions in times of crisis, as well as the role of improvised music in strengthening social cohesion. Panelists include Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen (former Minister for Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia), Shabnam Parvaresh (Morgenland Festival), Eric Birath (Fasching Club & Stockholm Jazz Festival), and Daniel Zimmermann (former Mayor of Monheim am Rhein), and it will be moderated by Annefleur Schipper (journalist, online & TV creator). The following day, another highlight will be an exclusive conversation with jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater, reflecting on this year's conference theme and exploring jazz as a force for dialogue and social change.

The professional programme offers practical tools alongside forward-looking perspectives on key challenges facing the sector. Its thematic range spans sustainable funding models and cultural policy advocacy through to mental health in the context of precarity within the cultural field. Additional panels explore fair practices, digital visibility, and the societal impact of jazz as a catalyst for democratic participation.

The Conference’s programme committee 2026 is composed by: Karolina Juzwa - chair (Wytwórnia Foundation), Raluca Baicu (North Sea Round Town), Alex Carr (Cheltenham Festivals), Francesca Cerretani (Europe Jazz Network), Reiner Michalke (Monheim Triennale), Steve Mead (Manchester Jazz Festival), Annamaija Saarela (G Livelab Tampere), Giambattista Tofoni (Europe Jazz Network), Janning Trumann (Cologne Jazzweek), Kornelia Vossebein (Stadtgarten Köln), Stefano Zucchiatti (Europe Jazz Network).

Showcase Festival and EJN Awards 2026

Running alongside the discourse programme, a showcase festival highlights the breadth and vitality of the German scene across venues including Stadtgarten Köln, Loft and the Sartory Hall. The 13 selected ensembles were chosen by a specialist curatorial committee comprising Marie Blobel (Jazzwerkstatt Peitz), Reiner Michalke (Monheim Triennale), Louis Rastig (A L'ARME!), Annika Sautter (Leipziger Jazztage), Janning Trumann (Cologne Jazzweek) and Kornelia Vossebein (Stadtgarten). The showcase aims to reflect the artistic quality and diversity of Germany as a creative hub within a wider European context. The programme spans formats from solo performance to larger ensembles, encompassing approaches from free improvisation to interdisciplinary work.

The line-up includes Big Breeezy’s Mumble Mafia, Cheel, Evi Filippou – Inevitable, Florian Herzog Almost Natural, GANNA, Holly Schlott – Unique, Malstrom, Neon Dilemma, the Olga Reznichenko Trio, Rabih Lahoud’s MASAA, Sera Karlo’s EX.II, Sheen Trio, and Zola Mennenhöh – A Labour of Love.

A central element of the programme is the presentation of the EJN Awards 2026, recognising outstanding contributions to the European jazz infrastructure. They will include the 15th EJN Award for Adventurous Programming, the 8th EJN Music & Community Award, and a concert by the Grand Prix winners of the 1st Ukrainian Jazz Prize: Kyiv-based Hyphen Dash, blending elements of jazz, hip-hop, electronica and fusion.

Cologne as a Centre of Innovation

As the first German host city, Cologne underscores the international profile of the region. The conference coincides with the 40th anniversary of Stadtgarten Köln, the “European Centre for Jazz and Contemporary Music”, and- through collaboration with the Monheim Triennale and Cologne Jazzweek- generates fresh momentum for creative and improvised music.

Registrations for the European Jazz Conference 2026 are now OPEN on the Eventbrite platform, both for EJN members and for regular participants.

For the detailed programme and the presentation of all the speakers and showcases, please browse through the tabs of this web section.

For information on how to reach the city of Cologne for the Conference, please download the Infosheet here attached.

The Europe Jazz Network is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

12th European Jazz Conference

24 - 27 September 2026, Cologne, Germany

Who We Are, What We Stand For

Whenever we meet these days, we share stories of our professional struggles: struggles to make ends meet, cope with soaring costs, stay afloat as cultural priorities shift, keep staff motivated, retain audiences and remain optimistic in the face of it all.

The new reality is that our sector is in crisis: the geopolitical climate is worsening each day, with governments in the US and parts of Europe using culture as a tool to drive nationalistic, divisive agendas and to retain power. At the same time, organisations are losing funding, staff and audiences, bringing an increased risk of drained energy and motivation.

In such times, we need strategies to secure our economic and artistic survival, effective tools to influence policymakers and to anchor our role within cultural agendas, and guidance on how to cope with mounting pressures and to renew our sense of purpose. We must strengthen our collective voice as upholders of democratic values and position jazz and improvised music as vital spaces for civic engagement and cultural enrichment. Our duty is not merely to find ways to survive, but to be instrumental in advancing social and democratic prosperity in our societies.

Our actions must reflect what defines us. By reclaiming our sense of mission in a world facing ethical challenges, and by taking strength in numbers, we can continue to assert the value and power of culture. We must recognise what is at stake: hold on to our vision and commit to our role in shaping a more open, democratic and culturally vibrant society. In essence: who we are and what we stand for.

Thursday, 24 September 2026

- FOR EJN MEMBERS ONLY -

14:00 - 20:30 Registrations for EJN members - Volksbühne

15:00 - 15:50 Welcome session for new members and ‘30 under 35’ - Volksbühne

16:00 - 17:30 Brainstorm on EJN strategy & future activities (split groups) - Volksbühne

17:30 - 17:45 Coffee break

18:00 - 20:30 FORMAL EJN GENERAL ASSEMBLY - Volksbühne

- OPEN TO ALL -

20:30 - 21:30 SHOWCASE: Florian Herzog’s Almost Natural - LOFT

22:30 - 23:00 SHOWCASE: Sera Kalo’s eX.II - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

23:30 - 23:50 SHOWCASE: MALSTROM - JAKI, Club at Stadtgarten

Friday, 25 September 2026

09:30 - 19:00 Registrations for everybody - 25hours Hotel

10:30 - 11:00 Official opening and welcome speeches - Sartory Hall

11:00 - 11:20 KEYNOTE SPEECH: Alexander Hawkins (UK) “The authoritarian’s trap, and the virtue of invisibility” - Sartory Hall

Many people can identify with the desire to stand for something - perhaps especially in times such as our own in which the geopolitical climate is so precarious. But feeling the desire to stand for something is very different from articulating what that thing might be: and in any case, who do we think our audience is? Do they even care what we stand for? Taking a stand might appease our collective conscience (whatever value that idea may or may not have), but if we are to achieve anything other than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we need to beware of a particular type of political misdirection. Can we avoid this misdirection, and still find relevance in the world in which we find ourselves?

11:30 - 12:30 PLENARY PANEL DEBATE: Who We Are, What We Stand For - Sartory Hall

Building on the ideas raised in Alexander Hawkins' keynote, this panel brings together artists, programmers, policymakers and a moderator from the media world to discuss this year's conference theme: Who We Are, What We Stand For. Together, they will reflect on what it means to create, present and support jazz and improvised music at a time when artistic freedom, cultural values, public funding and democratic principles can no longer be taken for granted.

Moderator: Annefleur Schipper (NL), Affie Today TV
Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen (DE), former State Minister for Culture for North Rhine-Westphalia
Eric Birath (SE), director of Fasching club & Stockholm Jazz Festival
Shabnam Parvaresh (IR/DE), artist & artistic director of Morgenland festival
Daniel Zimmermann (DE), former Mayor of Monheim

12:30 - 13:00 Group photo - Sartory Hall

13:00 - 14:30 Lunch - 25hours Hotel

15:00 - 16:30 Five parallel DISCUSSION GROUPS:

#1 - Resourcing our activities in an increasingly uncertain political & economic environment - for large festivals & venues (over 10 FTE staff / annual turnover above €1 million) - Ostermann hall / Sartory

How can larger festivals and venues maintain financial stability while staying true to their artistic vision and public mission? As political and economic uncertainty grows, this peer-learning session invites participants to exchange experiences, challenges and good practices around funding, audience development, programming independence and new income models. Together, participants will explore practical strategies for sustaining large organisations while defending culture and safeguarding the values that underpin our music.

Chair: Ros Rigby (EJN Honorary member, UK)

#2 - Resourcing our activities in an increasingly uncertain political & economic environment - for small clubs & festivals (under 10 FTE staff / annual turnover below €1 million) - Large meeting room / 25hours

How can grassroots venues and festivals remain resilient in an increasingly uncertain environment? This peer-learning session will explore how small clubs and festivals sustain their work through strong community connections, diverse income streams and collaborative approaches. Participants will exchange experiences and successful examples around alternative funding models, audience engagement and local partnerships, while reflecting on how to maintain cultural relevance and artistic independence in politically and economically challenging contexts.

Chair: Eric Birath (Fasching & Stockholm Jazz Festival, SE)
Daniel Radtke (Pardon, To Tu, PL)

#3 - Resourcing our activities in an increasingly uncertain political & economic environment - FOR NATIONAL / REGIONAL SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS - Small meeting room / 25hours

National and regional support organisations play a unique role in strengthening the jazz and improvised music sector through advocacy, networking, talent development and international collaboration. But how can they continue to fulfil this mission in the face of political and financial uncertainty? This peer-learning session will explore how organisations can adapt to changing funding landscapes, respond to shifting expectations, and maintain their impact while staying true to their core purpose. Participants will exchange concrete experiences on building resilient organisations, prioritising activities and demonstrating the value of their work.

Chair: Julia Payne (The Hub, UK)
Stefan Rusconi (Árvore Foundation, CH)

#4 - Who’s in the room? Embedding diversity through community-led practice & participation - Kajute room / Sartory

What does diversity and inclusion look like as a genuine working practice, and what steps do organisations need to take to get there? This session explores access and participation: creating real opportunities for people to engage with jazz regardless of background, age or origin, while challenging the idea that jazz belongs only to a selected elite. It also questions traditional outreach models, asking how organisations can move from pre-defining what communities need to listening, co-creation and shared authorship. The discussion will focus on three interconnected areas: audiences, musicians and teams. Participants are invited to bring their own experience to the table, contributing to an honest dialogue on how to move from good intentions to meaningful structural change.

Chair: Tasha Slagtand (House of Knowledge, NL)

#5 - From radio to influencers: analysing the changing relationship between jazz & media professionals - Foyer bar / 25hours

The media landscape for jazz and improvised music is changing rapidly across Europe, with countries facing different realities. Yet one thing remains constant: artists and organisers need knowledgeable voices that can engage critically with their work, tell their stories, and connect them with new audiences. As funding for specialised media declines, how can these essential but fragile ecosystems be sustained? Can social media and influencers create new opportunities, or do they simply reinforce the homogenisation of tastes and habits? This session will explore alternative and sustainable models for collaboration between artists, organisers and both traditional and emerging media professionals.

Chair: Aida Baghernejad (journalist and culture critic, DE)

17:00 - 17:30 SHOWCASE: Olga Reznichenko Trio - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

17:40 - 18:10 SHOWCASE: CHEEL - JAKI, Club at Stadtgarten

18:10 - 19:00 Free time / networking

19:00 - 21:00 Dinner - 25hours Hotel

21:00 - 21:40 SHOWCASE: Zola Mennenöh’s A LABOUR OF LOVE - Sartory Hall

21:50 - 22:30 SHOWCASE: Holly Schlott’s Unique - Sartory Hall

22:30 - Wind-down / social gathering - 25hours Hotel

Saturday, 26 September 2026

09:30 - 15:00 Registrations for everybody - 25hours Hotel

10:30 - 11:00 Celebration of the EJN Awards 2026 - Sartory Hall

We will present and celebrate the winners of the three awards bestowed by EJN this year: the Award for Adventurous Programming, the Music & Community Award, and the new Ukrainian Jazz Prize, presented in collaboration with the Ukrainian Institute. The ceremony will be followed by a performance from the Grand Prix winner of the Ukrainian Jazz Prize, Hyphen Dash from Kyiv.

11:00 - 11:30 SHOWCASE: Hyphen Dash / Ukrainian Jazz Prize Winners 2026 - Sartory Hall

11:45 - 13:00 Five parallel DISCUSSION GROUPS:

#1 - Maintaining values & defending artistic freedom in music programming - Foyer bar / 25hours

Every programming decision reflects a set of values, whether explicit or implicit. But how do we uphold artistic freedom and democratic values while navigating changing social expectations, funding priorities and the realities of today's cultural landscape? Building on the discussions initiated in previous European Jazz Conferences, this session will bring together experienced and emerging programmers to reflect on how personal beliefs, artistic vision and institutional responsibilities shape programming choices, and to explore how we can continue to defend artistic freedom while staying true to the values that define our music.

Chair: Kenneth Killeen (Improvised Music Company, IE)

#2 - Fair play: shaping a Fair Practice Charter for the creative music sector - Kajute room / Sartory

This working group is dedicated to collectively shaping a framework for fair practices in the jazz and improvised music sector by discussing and refining the draft Fair Practice Charter developed over the past months by the EJN task force led by Charles Gil. Topics for discussion include fair pay, working conditions, social security and professional recognition, mobility and cross-border equity, transparency and accountability, diversity and inclusion, climate responsibility, artistic freedom and participation in governance.

Chair: Charles Gil (Vapaat äänet, FR/FI)

#3 - Scene development: cherishing artists, promoters, talent incubators & audiences - Ostermann hall / Sartory

How do local music scenes emerge, and what helps them grow? Often they begin when artists, promoters and communities come together to fill a gap in the cultural landscape. But how can small scenes gain greater visibility while retaining their identity and civic engagement? What role do audiences play, and how can larger institutions amplify the energy of grassroots initiatives without overshadowing them? This working group will discuss how scenes have developed in different contexts, from small towns to major cities, and discuss how artists, promoters and cultural organisations can nurture local ecosystems and help them create an impact far beyond their own communities.

Chair: Esther Weickel (NICA Artists Development, DE)

#4 - Wellbeing & mental health: setting good practice in our daily work - Small meeting room / 25hours

Working in the live music sector often means juggling tight deadlines, small teams, limited resources and an "always on" mentality. Looking after our wellbeing and mental health is therefore not just a personal responsibility, but a vital part of building resilient organisations and sustainable careers. In this interactive, solution-focused session, participants will reflect together on practical approaches to managing workload, time and capacity, exchange good practices, and reflect on how to foster workplace cultures where people feel supported, empowered to set healthy boundaries, and able to thrive, both individually and collectively.

Chair: Rosana Corbacho (M.I. Therapy, ES)

#5 - How digital tech is reshaping live music, creative processes and communities - Large meeting room / 25hours

Digital technologies are rapidly reshaping the live music ecosystem, influencing artistic practice, creative collaboration and community building. This session will examine how the sector can embrace innovation while keeping artists and audiences at the centre. Through insights from two Horizon Europe-funded projects, AMPLIFY and PULSE, participants will discover new research, including the first findings from a Europe-wide survey exploring how artists are using, or choosing not to use, AI in their practice, and discuss the opportunities and challenges these developments present for the future of the live music sector.

Chair: Katrien De Moor (NTNU, BE/NO)
Ibrahim El Shemy (NTNU, IT/NO)
Riku Roihankorpi (LIDIA, FI)

13:00 - 14:30 Lunch - 25hours Hotel

15:00 - 16:00 Three parallel SESSIONS:

#1 - In conversation with… Dee Dee Bridgewater - Stadtgarten Green Room

Few artists embody the values of jazz as powerfully as Dee Dee Bridgewater. In this special conversation, the legendary vocalist reflects on this year's conference theme, exploring jazz as a force for dialogue and social change. Drawing on her connections with Europe and her commitment to mentoring new generations of artists, she will share her perspective on the role of jazz and improvised music in an increasingly complex and divided world.

Dee Dee Bridgewater (artist & culture activist, US)
Interviewed by Tina Lešničar (Ljubljana Jazz Festival/Cankarjev dom, SI)

#2 - Speed meetings for EJN members only - Stadtgarten restaurant

An informal, fast-paced networking session exclusively for EJN members. Through a series of five-minute one-to-one conversations, participants will have the opportunity to meet colleagues, both familiar faces and new connections, and exchange ideas, needs and opportunities. A simple and effective way to strengthen relationships, share experiences, and spark new collaborations across the network.

Facilitator: Mark van Schaick (Buma Cultuur/inJazz, NL)

#3 - Free time / Networking

16:15 - 16:45 SHOWCASE: Rabih Lahoud’s MASAA - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

16:45 - 17:15 Conference wrap-up & presentation of the European Jazz Conference 2027 - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

As the Conference comes to a close, this final session will reflect on the conversations, ideas and connections of the past three days, identifying the collective actions needed to strengthen our sector and uphold the values that unite us. We will also look ahead to the next European Jazz Conference, offering a first glimpse of the 2027 host city and inviting participants to continue shaping the future of our sector together.

17:30 - 18:00 SHOWCASE: Sheen Trio - JAKI, Club at Stadtgarten

18:15 - 18:45 SHOWCASE: NEON DILEMMA - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

19:00 - 21:00 Dinner - Stadtgarten beer garden

21:00 - 21:30 SHOWCASE: Evi Filippou’s InEvitable - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

21:45 - 22:15 SHOWCASE: GANNA - JAKI, Club at Stadtgarten

22:30 - 23:10 SHOWCASE: BIG BREEEZY´s MUMBLE MAFIA - Stadtgarten Concert Hall

23:15 - Wind-down / afterparty - Stadtgarten

Sunday, 27 September 2026

Cultural tours & activities, three parallel options:

11:00 - 13:00 FILM SCREENINGS - Filmpalette Cinema, Lübecker Straße 15, Köln

Dream Baby Dream - experimental short film produced for Jazzfest Berlin (2026, approx. 20 minutes)
Every Note You Play - cinematic documentary by Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki on the Monheim Triennale (2025, approx. 80 minutes). The film offers a look behind the scenes and shows how “musical boundaries were crossed, energy was released, and the deepest essence of creativity came to the fore.” (Kulttuuritoimitus, Finland)

11:00 - 12:30 WALKING TOUR #1: A new hope, a new beginning - Connecting the dots of Cologne's music and art scene - meeting point at Stadtgarten

Cologne has a long-standing modern music tradition, ranging from jazz, rock, electronic and classical music, that began in the wake of its ultimate watershed: the end of Nazi Germany and the horrors of the Second World War. In the vastness of debris and destruction new forms of music and art were attempted to be formed and created, in alignment with a new society. Within this process Cologne emerged to become one of the central hubs for art and music in central Europe. On this walking tour through Cologne’s city-center we want to connect the dots out of landmarks, places and references that tell the (hi)story’s of Cologne's modern music and art scenes and see how these mingle and intertwine with historic developments.

11:00 - 12:30 WALKING TOUR #2: Stories of the city and the typical Cologne way of life - meeting point at 25Hours Hotel

Beyond all significant cultural highlights, every city, of course, has its own subtle vibe. Without standing out, it drapes like a silent beat over everything that happens. When you feel this momentum, you are no longer just a spectator but immerse yourself in the feeling of the city and take deep pleasure in letting yourself be carried away. As a special kind of city tour, "Cologne is a Feeling" shows you in a highly humorous way what genuinely makes Cologne, Cologne - what is typically Cologne. Is it the infamous Kölsche Klüngel? Or perhaps the strangely charming city characters like "Tünnes and Schäl" or the Kallendresser? Maybe the secret of Cologne lies in its zest for life, in the singing culture that emanates from many pubs, not only during carnival. Or in the numerous stories told about its inhabitants, personalities, and their optimistic life philosophies. You will find out...

Alexander Hawkins

Keynote speech on Friday, 25 September. 11:00-11:20, Sartory Hall.

Alexander Hawkins is a British composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader who is ‘unlike anything else in modern creative music’. Regarded as one of his generation’s most innovative thinkers, his own unique soundworld is shaped by a profound fascination with composition and structure, alongside a love of chance and open forms.

He is a frequent solo performer, and also appears in groupings ranging from duo (with the likes of Nicole Mitchell, Sofia Jernberg, Tomeka Reid, Hamid Drake and others), through to large ensembles. His Ensemble music, at the core of which often sits his long-standing trio, was said by The Guardian newspaper to sound ‘like all the future jazz you might imagine without ever being able to conceive of the details.’

Hawkins work as a bandleader has been released for the past decade by Intakt Records. He enjoyed a near-15 year association with the legendary South African drummer, Louis Moholo-Moholo, and for a similar period of time has toured the world with Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke. He has been widely commissioned, by the likes of the BBC, festivals such as the London, Cheltenham, and Berlin Jazz Festivals, venues such as the Pierre Boulez Saal, and contemporary music groups such as the Riot Ensemble. He was named ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ in the 2016 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and 'Rising Star Organist of the Year' in the 2025 Downbeat Critics' Poll. In 2018, he was elected a fellow of the Civitella Ranieri.

He has appeared frequently on BBC Radio both as an interviewer and interviewee, and his writings have been published in places as diverse as The Wire and The British Journal of Sociology. He holds a PhD in law from the University of Cambridge.

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Interview on Saturday, 26 September. 15:00-15:40, Stadtgarten Green Room

Dee Dee Bridgewater is a Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist, internationally acclaimed as one of the most influential figures in jazz. Across a remarkable career spanning more than four decades, she has continuously redefined the art of jazz singing, combining deep respect for tradition with an adventurous spirit that has led her to reinterpret standards and explore new musical directions.

Bridgewater began her professional career with the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band before performing with jazz icons including Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon and Dizzy Gillespie. She later established herself as an independent producer, founding DDB Records and producing her own acclaimed recordings, including the Grammy-winning Dear Ella and Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee. Her latest recording, Elemental, a collaboration with Grammy-winning pianist Bill Charlap, received a Grammy Award nomination following its 2025 release.

Alongside her recording career, Bridgewater has enjoyed outstanding success in musical theatre, winning a Tony Award for The Wiz, and has been honoured with the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, the Doris Duke Artist Award and induction into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Beyond the stage, she is a passionate advocate for the jazz community. In 2019 she founded The Woodshed Network, a non-profit initiative dedicated to mentoring, supporting and advancing women in jazz. She has also served as host of NPR's JazzSet and as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), championing the fight against global hunger.

As both a pioneering artist and a committed cultural leader, Dee Dee Bridgewater continues to inspire audiences and the next generation of musicians around the world.

Annefelur Schipper

Moderator of the panel debate on supporting the creation and presentation of jazz and improvised music. Friday, 25 September. 11:30-12:30, Sartory Hall.

Annefleur Schipper is an award-winning Dutch journalist, presenter, and creator of multiple online and television productions. Her work explores the intersection of pop culture, film, music, and society, with a particular interest in emerging voices and contemporary cultural shifts.

She is the co-creator and host of the podcast De Lesbische Liga (NTR/3FM), a leading Dutch podcast and cultural platform dedicated to the representation of lesbian, bi, and queer women in media and pop culture. Since its launch, the platform has grown far beyond its podcast roots into a vibrant community, organizing live theatre shows, festival performances at Down The Rabbit Hole and Lowlands, film screenings, queer meet-ups, party nights, and other cultural events.

Alongside her work for De Lesbische Liga, Annefleur hosted her own television talk show about online culture and music, Op de Matrix, and has worked as a culture correspondent across a wide range of live television shows, talk shows, and radio programmes. She has also created several television formats around Serious Request (NTR/3FM), the Netherlands' annual national fundraising campaign for charity and frequently writes stories for publications such as VOGUE and LINDA.

As a moderator, Annefleur is recognized for her thoughtful preparation, curiosity, and ability to lead lively, insightful conversations with warmth and humour, creating meaningful connections between artists and audiences.

Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen

Plenary panel debate on supporting the creation and presentation of jazz and improvised music. Friday, 25 September. 11:30-12:30, Sartory Hall.

Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen studied law and history; after finishing, she served in the public administration of culture and science, initially in Hamburg, then as chancellor of the Cologne College of Music, then as deputy Mayor for culture and social affairs in the city of Aachen, later as Secretary General of the cultural foundation of the German federal States in Berlin. From 2017 to 2022 she was appointed State Minister of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westfalia and from 2023 to 2026 chairwoman of the Carl Friedrich von Siemens Foundation, Munich.

Eric Birath

Plenary panel debate on supporting the creation and presentation of jazz and improvised music. Friday, 25 September. 11:30-12:30, Sartory Hall & discussion group on resourcing our activities for small clubs & festivals. Friday, 25 September. 15:00-16:30, Large meeting room / 25hours.

For the past ten years Eric has been the CEO and Artistic Director of Fasching, opening in 1977 it is one of Europe’s longest running jazz clubs. Fasching programs nearly 300 concerts a year and is also the promoter behind the annual Stockholm Jazz Festival. Fasching is a community driven venue dedicated to modern jazz and progressive music in closely related genres. Eric has a 25 year career in the music industry, working as a booker and promoter of independent and adventurous music. During his time at Fasching the venue has expanded its realm of music, pushing boundaries as to what a modern jazz club is and can be – an inclusive meeting place for an ever growing community of musicians and audience.

Shabnam Parvaresh

Plenary panel debate on supporting the creation and presentation of jazz and improvised music. Friday, 25 September. 11:30-12:30, Sartory Hall.

Shabnam Parvaresh is a clarinetist, visual artist, and curator from Tehran and artistic director of the Morgenland Festival Osnabrück. After studying Fine Arts in Tehran, she began her musical career with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. In 2013, she moved to Germany to study jazz clarinet in Osnabrück. Her work combines Persian musical elements with electronics, improvisation, and jazz.

In 2020, she founded the Sheen Trio, whose album Transitory was released in 2026 on Unit Records. The ensemble performs internationally and has appeared at festivals such as Leipziger Jazzweek, Saalfelden Jazz Festival, and Südtirol Jazzfestival.

Alongside her work as a musician, she is active as a curator, serving as artistic director of the Morgenland Festival Osnabrück and curating the Klangfenster concert series. She also curated an international lineup for the Osnabrück Jazz Initiative “Jazz49” for the Jazz Festival Osnabrück.

Daniel Zimmermann

Plenary panel debate on supporting the creation and presentation of jazz and improvised music. Friday, 25 September. 11:30-12:30, Sartory Hall.

Daniel Zimmermann was born in 1982 in Düsseldorf, Germany. From 2002 to 2008 he studied French and Physics at the University of Cologne to become a teacher. In December 2008 he achieved the first Staatsexamen. He worked as a tutor and scientist at the seminar for Romance languages at the university.

In 1999, Zimmermann and four other teenagers founded the local youth party PETO in Monheim am Rhein. The name of the party refers to the Latin word peto (in English: „I demand“).

Zimmermann was elected mayor of Monheim am Rhein in 2009. He was the youngest city mayor in Germany at that period of time. By reducing the local business tax to the lowest rate in the region of North Rhine Westphalia, Zimmermann attracted many companies to the city, balanced the city’s budget and was responsible for investing a lot of money in culture and education.

In 2018, he contracted Reiner Michalke to create the Monheim Triennale. After two successful reelections as a mayor Zimmermann didn’t run for a fourth term. He quit in October 2025.

Ros Rigby

Discussion group on resourcing our activities for large festivals & venues. Friday, 25 September. 15:00-16:30, Ostermann hall / Sartory.

Ros Rigby OBE was the first Performance Programme Director at the iconic music venue, Sage Gateshead, where she and her team established a number of successful annual festivals, including the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. Stepping down from that role in 2016 she has worked as a freelance programmer, producer and consultant, as well as taking on various Board roles in the UK and beyond.

Elected to the Board of Europe Jazz Network in 2011, she became President in 2014 and was re-elected for a second term in 2016. After her term came to an end in September 2018 she was asked to continue as an Honorary Member of the network. She joined the Board of the Jazz Promotion Network in June 2018 and was Chair from 2022-2025.

Julia Payne

Discussion group on resourcing our activities for national & regional support organisations. Friday, 25 September. 15:00-16:30, Small meeting room / 25hours.

Julia has more than 25 years' experience in the jazz and independent music sector. After working in venues including London's Barbican Centre, she held roles at the Jazz Development Trust and Arts Council England before co-founding the hub in 2002, a social enterprise combining music consultancy, research and professional development.

She has extensive experience working with cultural development organisations across the UK and is Co-Chair of the South East Creative Economy Network and Co-Founder of Made in Essex, which advocates for investment in culture and strengthens place-based cultural networks. Julia has led strategic development projects with organisations including Jazz Promotion Network, Manchester Music City and Outlands.

Alongside her professional roles, she is also a trustee of Manchester Jazz Festival.

Tasha Slagtand

Discussion group on inclusion and diversity in music organisations. Friday, 25 September. 15:00-16:30, Kajute room / Sartory.

Tasha Slagtand is a Dutch-Surinamese singer, creative director, mentor and cultural leader based in Rotterdam. An award-winning recording artist, she has released three acclaimed albums and performed worldwide at leading venues and festivals, including the London Jazz Café, SOB’s New York and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Building on her artistic career, Tasha has become a prominent advocate for talent development, cultural leadership and social inclusion. She co-founded House of Knowledge, supporting emerging artists in the urban performing arts, and chairs the SABI Foundation, which promotes the empowerment of Afro-diaspora communities.

She also serves on several supervisory and advisory boards and is widely recognised as a skilled bridge-builder, connecting artists, communities and institutions to foster dialogue, strengthen cultural ecosystems and inspire meaningful social change.

Aida Baghernejad

Discussion group on the changing relationship between jazz & media professionals. Friday, 25 September. 15:00-16:30, Foyer bar / 25hours.

Aida Baghernejad is an award winning culture critic based in Berlin. Her work has been published in various national and international media outlets such as DLF Kultur or The Guardian, and focuses on popular culture and its intersections with the political.

In 2024, she spent five months in the US as a Thomas Mann Fellow to investigate the intersections between pop culture and the political sphere. She usually lives in Berlin, sometimes in London, but mostly on the internet.

Kenneth Killeen

Discussion group on values & artistic freedom in music programming. Saturday, 26 September. 11:45-13:00, Foyer bar / 25hours.

Kenneth Killeen is Artistic Director of Improvised Music Company (IMC), Ireland’s national resource organisation for jazz and improvised music. Over more than two decades, he has led programmes, festivals, and platforms connecting Irish artists with international networks, including long-term leadership of 12 Points Festival and The Cooler. His work spans artistic programming, cultural infrastructure, and sector development, with a focus on creating the conditions in which artists and organisations can thrive.

Alongside this, he designs and builds digital platforms, operational systems, and AI-assisted workflows for arts organisations, applying modern web technologies to real-world organisational challenges. He has served on the boards of The Complex, Europe Jazz Network, and Jazz Promotion Network.

Charles Gil

Discussion group on fair practices in the jazz & creative music sector. Saturday, 26 September. 11:45-13:00, Kajute room / Sartory.

Charles Gil is a producer who coordinates and manages concert tours, specializing in innovative and adventurous jazz music. After his move from his native France to Finland, Gil founded the agency Vapaat äänet (Free Voices / Free Sounds) in Helsinki in 1996, to promote the exchange of jazz music between France, Finland, the Baltic Countries and Scandinavia. Vapaat äänet came quickly to stand for originality and high quality. Since 2003, he has coordinated the French Nordic Jazz Transit, export and exchange program of the AJC (Association Jazzé Croisé).

He was in charge of the concert series Ultra Music at the Pori Jazz Festival from 2003 to 2013, and since 2015 he has been the Director of the festival Jazz on the Beach in Raahe.

Gil came up with the concept of Slow Touring, which in retrospect describes his personal style of touring, accompanying the artists on the road, an attitude distilled via more than 2000-odd gigs along the way.

Esther Weickel

Discussion group on scene development & talent incubators. Saturday, 26 September. 11:45-13:00, Ostermann hall / Sartory.

Esther Weickel grew up on a riding stable in southern Germany, where she learned to recognise horses by the sound of their whinnies. For a long time, music was little more than the soundtrack to everyday life. It was only while studying philosophy that a chance visit to a jazz session sparked her fascination with improvised music, one visit quickly turned into many.

From 2018, she worked for Jazzclub Leipzig e.V., the organisation behind the festival Leipziger Jazztage. Since 2022, she has been Project Manager of NICA artist development at the European Centre for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Stadtgarten Köln. In 2026, she co-founded Furusato Records with saxophonist and composer Fabian Dudek.

Rosana Corbacho

Discussion group on well-being & mental health as creative music professionals. Saturday, 26 September. 11:45-13:00, Small meeting room / 25hours.

Rosana Corbacho is a clinical and humanistic psychologist specializing in the music industry, with over 15 years of experience working with artists, industry professionals, and creative teams. She collaborates with organizations like Spotify, Believe, Live Nation, and Berklee, and has spoken at major festivals including Primavera Sound, Reeperbahn, ADE, and BIME-where she received the Keychange Inspiration Award in 2022.

She is the founder of M.I. Therapy, a specialized clinical team focused on the physical and mental health of professionals in music, the arts, and creative industries. The project offers therapy, prevention, and education tailored to the emotional demands of artistic careers.

Her work has been featured in El País, Cosmopolitan, and RNE, and she has contributed to mental health initiatives across Europe, Latin America, and New Zealand, supporting the global creative community.

Katrien De Moor

Discussion group on digital technologies and live music, process and communities. Saturday, 26 September. 11:45-13:00, Large meeting room / 25hours.

Katrien De Moor is full professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Through her research, she aims to contribute to the broader field of human-centered, secure and ethical technology design. Her work critically examines how digital technologies can be designed and evaluated in ways that are secure and that respect human values such as privacy, agency, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Her recent projects focus on human-centered, ethical digitalization in the creative and cultural industries, human-centered cybersecurity and tensions between optimizing user experience and safeguarding privacy, security, and well-being. In addition to a wide range of community services, she is co-Editor in Chief of “Quality and User Experience” (Springer) and Editorial board member of ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing, Communications, and Applications (TOMM).

Florian Herzog – Almost Natural

LOFT. Thursday, 24.09.26, 20.30-21.30

Sebastian Gille – sax
Chaerin Im – p/synth
Florian Herzog – b
Leif Berger – dr

Tension and release, chords and clusters, pulse and beat, bonus and penalty: it is often contrasts and opposites from which a work of art derives its tension, and true beauty reveals itself only when it is marked by a flaw. In his improvisational music, Cologne-based bassist and bandleader Florian Herzog also draws on the principle of opposites, without, however, allowing himself to be dominated by it. Equally important to him are parameters inherent to music itself, such as rhythm and dynamics, harmony and melody, which he knows how to unfold together with Sebastian Gille (saxophone), Chaerin Im (piano, synthesizer), Leif Berger (drums), and himself on the double bass. This brings out qualities that ensure contemporary jazz gains even more tension and is further energized when anticipation and interaction give structure and form to the free improvisation flowing from the four musicians.

Sera Kalo`s eX.II

Stadtgarten Saal. Thursday, 24.09.26, 22.30-23.00

Sera Kalo – voc/eb
Marius Max – sax/efx
Sofia Eftychidou – b
Lukas Akintaya – dr

Sera Kalo was born and raised in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Via New York, she moved to Dresden, Germany, in 2009, where she studied jazz vocals for several semesters at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music. She now lives in Berlin; for Kalo, the German capital—with its highly international artistic scene—has become the place where she finds her political identity, just as Berlin has become the creative environment for shaping her own music. In her work, she blends free jazz with soul and hip-hop, combining her political awareness and social conscience with a quiet poetry to bring the subtlest nuances and every detail to the surface. For Kalo, jazz is not a musical genre. Rather, jazz is an attitude with which she absorbs the events around her in order to reflect on her immediate surroundings and transform them into music.

MALSTROM

JAKI. Thursday, 24.09.26, 23.20-23.50

Florian Walter – sax
Axel Zajac – gtr
Jo Beyer – dr

In 2010, drummer Jo Beyer founded the group with guitarist Axel Zajac and tenor saxophonist Salim Javaid while they were studying music in Osnabrück. The decision not to fill the bass position was a conscious one: they knew how the music had to sound without a bass, because it would be played by a collective of three improvisational artists working as equals. Florian Walter is now the saxophonist for Malstrom; this change in personnel has had little impact on the trio’s concept. What the three bring to the stage is not conventional jazz. Rather, it is improvisational music that draws aesthetically from many sources. With Malstrom, the music can rock loudly and shift into brutal drones; it can be completely “free” and condense into clusters of sound, yet the melodic and harmonic elements are not neglected. This unpretentious hybridity stems from Malstrom’s roots in the present.

Olga Reznichenko Trio

Stadtgarten Saal. Friday, 25.09.26, 17.00-17.30

Olga Reznichenko – p/comp
Lorenz Heigenhuber – b
Maximilian Stadtfeld – dr

Olga Reznichenko has titled the second album by her trio—formed in 2018 with Lorenz Heigenhuber (bass) and Max Stadtfeld (drums)—“Rhythm Dissection.” The English word “dissection” translates to “dissection” or “disassembly” in German. This is perhaps the best way to describe the metrically complex improvisational music of the pianist, who was born in 1989 in Taganrog, Russia, on the Sea of Azov, and has lived in Germany since 2012. With Reznichenko, odd meters sound as natural as can be, as if they had been an integral part of her musical consciousness from the very beginning. Especially in her anticipatory interplay with her two partners on bass and drums, the pieces oscillate between irregular measures that are sometimes stretched and then compressed again—whichever the flow allows. The chords mark the harmonic progression, while the themes do not simply follow a melody but set a framework for the perception of an aesthetically boundless improvisational music.

CHEEL

JAKI. Friday, 25.09.26, 17.40-18.10

Luise Volkmann – sax
Keisuke Matsuno – gtr
Max Andrzejewski – dr

The flow state is essential, especially for creativity. Balancing a slight sense of being overwhelmed with one’s own abilities creates a creative process driven by the constant alternation between tension and relaxation. The collaborative trio CHEEL—featuring Cologne-based saxophonist Luise Volkmann and Berlin-based drummer Max Andrzejewski and guitarist Keisuke—also explores this mental state. The pieces are generally long and have no breaks. They span a range from simple folk songs to complex improvisational music and raw punk rock. It is often repetitive patterns that structure the musical process; at the same time, trance-like repetitions and rhythmic circling ensure that redundancies are avoided on the one hand, while triggering new sonic events on the other.

Zola Mennenöh – A LABOUR OF LOVE

Sartory. Friday, 25.09.26, 21.00-21.40

Zola Mennenöh – voc/comp
Caecilie Balling – viol
Emily Wittbrodt – cel
Kathrin Pechlof – harp
Gintė Preisaitė – p/synth
Phil Donkin – b

Strictly speaking, the term “soundscape” refers to the totality of sounds in a specific place, including all its natural sounds, traffic noise, and voices—both loud and soft. This definition can also be applied inward to describe people’s mental state. This is roughly the approach taken by singer and composer Zola Mennenöh, who lives in both Berlin and Copenhagen, when she began working on her program “A Labour of Love.” To stand up for her convictions and give voice to her anger at an increasingly chaotic world around her, Mennenöh actually takes a step back and lets the lyrical timbre of her voice speak for itself, just as much as the quiet flow of her spoken words. Combined with digitally developed sound textures and the nuanced dynamics of analog instruments, these imaginary soundscapes create a captivating emotionality.

Holly Schlott – Unique

Sartory. Friday, 25.09.26, 21.50-22.30

Holly Schlott – lead/comp
Eric Leuthäuser – voc/efx
Zuza Jasínska – voc/efx
Julie Sassoon – p
Benjamin Geyer – synth/efx
Julius Apriadi – vib
Tanja Becker – trb
Olga Amelchenko – sax
Birgitta Flick – sax
Orlando de Boeykens – tuba
Tilo Weber – dr

The fact that Berlin-based saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Holly Schlott has launched her ensemble Unique is particularly significant. “Music knows no gender,” Schlott is convinced, “but it does know attitude!” For her, her ensemble of soloists is the blueprint for a utopia: music functions as a dialogue between the instrumentalists on stage and the audience in front of them, just as it also creates connections between generations. It builds bridges across divides, but is also an expression of lived identity. Unique does not play classical orchestral jazz. Rather, this eleven-piece band delivers the richness of sound for multifaceted chamber music by dissolving opposites and allowing for contradictions. The musicians appreciate the melodic as much as the concrete beat, but they are also aware of the tension that arises when these parameters are dissolved. Music as an alternative to today’s political turmoil? For Schlott and Unique, that fits.

Hyphen Dash

Sartory. Saturday, 26.09.26, 11:00-11:30

Polina Maiboroda – keys
Dmytro Startsev – keys, fx
Yevhen Puhachov – gtr, b
Mykhailo Birchenko – dr

Hyphen Dash is a Kyiv-based quartet featuring Myshko Birchenko (drums), Yevhen Puhachov (guitar, bass), Polina Maiboroda (keys), and Dmytro Startsev (keys, fx). Their music blends hip-hop, jazz, electronica, and fusion, offering a fresh take on instrumental sound. With a focus on experimentation, they aim to redefine existing music genres. The band has released their first LP LATE, live EP recorded at the National Art Museum of Ukraine, and a lot of collaborative singles with local and international artists. They’ve played sold-out shows in Kyiv and performed at renowned European festivals like ESNS, XJAZZ!, SHARPE, Reeperbahn, and Les Trans Musicales. Hyphen Dash also won the Grand Prix at First Ukrainian Jazz Award in 2026, an Artist of the Year award at the Jagermeister Music Awards 2026, and a competition from ONUKA and Hennessy in 2021.

Rabih Lahoud – MASAA

Stadtgarten Saal. Saturday, 26.09.26, 16.15-16.45

Rabih Lahoud – voc
Reentko Dirks – gtr
Demian Kappenstein – dr/perc
Marcus Rust – trp/flg

Masaa is Arabic for “evening”—that time of day when outlines are still visible, yet much is already blurred by the twilight. This is also how one might describe the improvisational music of the Masaa Quartet, led by singer Rabih Lahoud, who was born in Lebanon in 1982 and has lived in Germany for many years. Together with Reentko Dirks (guitar), Demian Kappenstein (drums), and Marcus Rust (trumpet), Lahoud celebrates the coming together that often takes place in the evening. It is the translation of shared storytelling and narration into a piece of music; it is a defiance of boundaries—the imaginary ones between people, but also the concrete ones between nations. Together, they bring together the classical music of Europe with the jazz of the USA; the connection between the two genres is, in turn, the meandering, melismatic melody of the Arabic maqam and the distinctive style of Lahoud’s native language, in which he sings the songs.

Sheen Trio

JAKI. Saturday, 26.09.26, 16.15-16.45

Shabnam Parvaresh – bcla/cla/efx
Ula Martyn-Ellis – gtr
Philipp Buck – dr

“Sheen” is the 16th letter of the Persian alphabet and also the first letter of the first name of clarinetist Shabnam Parvaresh, who was born and raised in Tehran in 1983 and has lived in Osnabrück since 2014. This is also—and precisely why—she chose it as the name for her trio with Ula Martyn-Ellis (guitar) and Philipp Buck (drums). The music is rich in contrast and draws its tension equally from harsh breaks as it builds bridges across divides. At times it sounds edgy, rugged, and gruff; at others, it reveals a quiet lyricism and a contemplative mellowness, which may come as a surprise at first in this often rough-and-tumble, rock-infused setting. Parvaresh’s playing on the clarinets often has a staged and performative quality, which lends even greater confidence to the musicians’ anticipatory interplay on equal footing and makes the complexity in the music’s arrangement sound entirely natural.

NEON DILEMMA

Stadtgarten Saal. Saturday, 26.09.26, 18.15-18.45

Elias Stemeseder – p/synth
Robert Landfermann – b
Leif Berger – dr

Neon Dilemma is a collaborative band featuring Austrian pianist Elias Stemeseder, who divides his time between Berlin and New York, and Cologne-based musicians Robert Landfermann (bass) and Leif Berger (drums). With their trio, the three musicians pursue the vision of transforming the traditional concept of the “classical” 20th-century jazz piano trio into improvised music for the 21st century, drawing on today’s musical sensibilities and technical possibilities. In the flow of free improvisation, the music develops intuitively from the moment; each of the three anticipates the other’s playing, thereby creating tension within the harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic foundation. New and surprising connections constantly emerge in sound, timbre, and dynamics, while form and structure are renegotiated through interaction.

Evi Filippou – InEvitable

Stadtgarten Saal. Saturday, 26.09.26, 21.00-21.30

Evi Filippou – vib/perc/voc
Zuza Jasinska – voc
Keisuke Matsuno – gtr
Robert Lucaciu – b
Jim Hart – dr

With InEvitable, Evi Filippou—born in Volos, Greece, in 1993 and having moved to Berlin in 2011 to study classical percussion—explores her roots. These roots can be found, on the one hand, in Greek folklore and the rembetiko music popular in her homeland, and on the other, in the folk songs of the 1960s, harmonically complex contemporary classical music, and contemporary improvisational music. Filippou, however, is not merely a virtuoso on the vibraphone and various percussion instruments. Rather, she is a sophisticated performer who stages her pieces—adorned with every possible item from her travel kit—in a manner that is as refined as it is opulent and humorous. The result sounds like a blend of a Berlin dance hall and a Parisian music salon from 100 years ago, the classical ambiance of a philharmonic hall, and a venue for improvised music—all at the same time and in real time.

GANNA

JAKI. Saturday, 26.09.26, 21.45-22.15

GANNA – voc/synth/gtr
Laura Robles – cajon/congas/perc
Vojta Drnek – acc

The Ukrainian vocal artist GANNA has delivered a true masterpiece with “Utopia.” “I love discovering new things,” says the singer, born Ganna Gryniva in 1989, who moved from Ukraine to Germany with her family in 2002. “It’s a completely new sonic universe, influenced equally by folk and jazz. I had to find my own musical language—sometimes dreamy, sometimes danceable—using synthesizers, loops, and other musicians.” For some time now, GANNA has been experimenting with imaginative, analog and digitally produced soundscapes that blend with traditional melodies and choirs from her homeland and are based on field recordings made during her travels to Ukraine. Additional voices often join in to broaden the range of timbres—such as the Afro-Peruvian cajón player and bassist Laura Robles or the Czech accordionist Vojta Drnek.

BIG BREEEZY´s MUMBLE MAFIA

Stadtgarten Saal. Saturday, 26.09.26, 22.30-23.10

Fabian Dudek – sax
Roger Kintopf – eb
Joshua Knauber – dr
Victor Fox – sax

The origin of his stage name is simple: While studying saxophone, Victor Fox—born in 2000—practiced circular breathing nonstop. This first became “Big Breathing,” and later evolved into the onomatopoeic “Big Breezy.” There’s also an explanation for “Mumble Jazz”: As a member of Gen Z, Fox references the hip-hop subgenre mumble rap on one hand, while on the other, he draws on the English verb “to mumble” to describe the dialect of his home region in eastern Hesse, which sounds like mumbling and muttering. The young saxophonist, who lives in Cologne, takes this camouflage to the extreme when he stands on stage during his quartet’s performances with a ski mask pulled over his face while playing the saxophone. Big Breezy’s modern jazz sounds raw and often comes across as unruly; at times, Fox and his band adopt the brash attitude of punk rock. Moreover, their mumble jazz is rhythmically complex and generates an incredible sense of urgency in its expression.

Stadtgarten Köln

Stadtgarten Köln is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading venues for contemporary and improvised music. Today, it hosts more than 400 events each year, spanning the full breadth of current musical expression. Its international reputation is rooted above all in the strength of its ambitious and experimental programming. Alongside leading international artists and ensembles, outstanding projects from Cologne’s local scene and the wider North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region receive dedicated support and a prominent platform.

Since 2017, in partnership with the City of Cologne and the state of NRW, Stadtgarten Köln has been developed into the ‘European Centre for Jazz and Contemporary Music’. A key component of this initiative is the NICA artist development programme, established at Stadtgarten in 2019 and realised by the venue. Funded by the state of NRW, NICA supports exceptional artists working in jazz and contemporary music at pivotal stages in their careers. Beyond its diverse concert and cultural programme, Stadtgarten serves as a vital production hub and meeting point for the jazz and improvisation scenes in Cologne and across NRW. It regularly commissions new works and provides rehearsal and production space for premieres.

In September 2026, Stadtgarten Köln celebrates its 40th anniversary.

www.stadtgarten.de

Monheim Triennale

The Monheim Triennale was an international music festival held in Monheim am Rhein. A key feature was its three-year cycle comprising the editions The Sound, The Prequel, and The Festival. The final edition of the Monheim Triennale took place in 2025.

For The Sound in 2023, fifteen internationally renowned artists developed site-specific sound art works and presented them in public spaces for four weeks. In 2024, five international curators, together with festival director Reiner Michalke, invited sixteen musicians and composers to the small town of Monheim am Rhein. The result was an incredibly diverse cross-section of the contemporary music scene, spanning all national and genre boundaries. These musicians first met at the workshop edition The Prequel 2024 and performed in various constellations over the course of three days. They then developed specific projects, the so-called signature projects, for bands and ensembles, which they presented at The Festival 2025.

In addition, through diverse collaborations with local ensembles, schools, and other educational institutions, the Monheim Triennale offered all interested parties the opportunity for direct engagement through artistic workshops, artist talks, and concerts.

www.monheim-triennale.de

Cologne Jazzweek

Founded in 2021, Cologne Jazzweek has rapidly established itself as one of Europe’s leading festivals for jazz and improvised music. Emerging from Cologne’s vibrant and internationally connected jazz scene, the festival reflects the city’s reputation as a hub for innovative music.

Each year, Cologne Jazzweek presents more than 50 concerts across over 20 venues, ranging from major concert halls to independent clubs and interdisciplinary spaces. Its program brings together internationally acclaimed artists and emerging voices, creating a platform that connects local identity with global perspectives.

The festival operates with a rotating curatorial board, whose members serve two-year terms, ensuring a continuously evolving artistic perspective. Artistic director Janning Trumann oversees the overall vision. Cologne Jazzweek focuses on artistic exchange, new productions, and sustainable collaboration, strengthening Cologne’s role as a key meeting point for the international jazz community.

www.jazzweek.de