Jazzfest Berlin 2016

The programme 2016

“Sometimes it is important (in society) to have outspokenness, upset, anarchy, debate … agreeing to disagree is also agreement, in a sense. And so it is also in improvised contexts.”
Matana Roberts

From 1 to 6 November, Berliner Festspiele will host the 53rd Jazzfest Berlin. There will be 14 concerts by a total of 22 jazz formations, a film screening and artist talks on the programme. Many formations will perform in this special constellation at the festival for the first time. There are ten premieres: the opening concert sets by Julia Hülsmann Quartet with alto saxophonist Anna-Lena Schnabel and saxophonist Mette Henriette with ensemble, the jubilee concert of the Globe Unity Orchestra, the performance by pianist Nik Bärtsch with his band Ronin and the hr-Bigband, the evening with pianist Eve Risser and her White Desert Orchestra and the duo-formations at A-Trane with Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock, Aki Takase and Charlotte Greve besides the duett by trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and pianist Alexander Hawkins playing the organ at Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

A further world premiere will be the multimedia-performance by american saxophonist and sound artist Matana Roberts, a Homage on Pina Bausch, at the reconstruction of the great choreographer’s famous Lichtburg rehearsal space in the Martin-Gropius-Bau for the festival start on 1 November. The complete programme is online, tickets have gone on sale.