Hamburg

The journey

Under the theme "Connecting the dots" seven composition students from Glasgow, Hamburg, Nuremberg, Oslo and Parma created a joint work that was premiered at the 2022 ELBJAZZ Festival in Hamburg. The large ensemble that brought this work to life consists of international students also from these five cities. It is made up of both jazz and classically inclined students, which means that there are no limits to their musical horizons. The composition, which was written and rehearsed especially for this occasion, not only united the artistic influences of all participants in a unique way to form a large overall work but was also representative of bringing together individuality and collective beyond all supposed boundaries.

The journey started for the group of composers in January 2022 in Hamburg. In march 2022 they joined the ensemble for the first time in an online meeting. The period of merging the pieces, rehearsing with the live ensemble and finally performing the joint work happened at the end of May/beginning of June in Hamburg.

The music

The music is created by composition students and ensemble members as a group effort. The composers started from scratch with only knowing the theme and the line-up they were going to write music for. Everyone aims to bring in something from their musical origins and the traditions of their home country.
Over a couple of months and meetings, refined their ideas and finally brought them to life with every ensemble member, who again brought in their individual skills and experiences to the interpretation of the written scores.

"The European Jazz Workshop in concert" was performed at ELBJAZZ FESTIVAL on June 3rd, 2022 and at Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg (JazzHall) on June 2nd at 19:00

Watch the trailer from the concert here (YouTube)

Watch the full concert here (YouTube)

From Conservatorio A. Boito, Parma

Clarissa Colucci (vocal)
Francesco Cannito (piano)
Jan Jacopo Toninelli (electric bass)
Benadetta Rositano (drums)
Eliana Cruz (composition)
Giuseppe Scalici (composition)

From Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hamburg

Milena Hoge (harp)
Yağmur Atagür (viola)
Agustin Pardo (composition)
Wiebke Hahn (trumpet)

From Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow

Sean Megaw (reeds - alto sax)
Samuel Cleary (guitar)
Peter Hughes (composition)

From Norges Musikkhøgskole, Oslo

Markus Dyrud (trumpet)
Åsmund Soldal (percussion)
Hanna Kallestad (violin)
Saimi Kortelainen (violin)
Luis Verde (composition)
David Hveem (composition)

From Hochschule für Musik, Nürnberg

Michael Reiss (reeds - tenor sax)
Valentina Oefele (reeds - bari sax)
Fabius Mey (trombone)
Hannah von Glasow (cello)
Filip Wisniewski (composition)