Declan Forde is a pianist from Scotland and has been living in Berlin since 2014. In these past five years Forde has become the pianist of choice in Berlin across a broad spectrum of musical situations. From Early Jazz like Igor Spallati’s Musicomaniacs, to performing the music of Duke Ellington with American bassist Greg Cohen (Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Woody Allen, etc). Forde also performs solo and was invited by the Berliner Festspiele to perform as part of American artist Rashid Johnson’s installation Antoine’s Organ at Berlin’s Gropius Bau from July-December 2019. He curates a monthly series at the club Donau115, named ‘one of the best jazz clubs in Europe’ by The Guardian, with bassist James Banner. The duo released their first album ‘Circus’ featuring João Lopes Pereira in October 2018.

Latvian-born Agita Rando studied church music at the Latvian Music Academy in Riga. A scholarship brought her to Bremen in 2000, where she completed graduate studies in organ playing under the tuition of Hans-Ola Ericsson and Harald Vogel. Whilst working as a musician in the genres church music, classical music and jazz, Agita also studied jazz-piano under Joe Dinkelbach, Ed Kröger, Detlev Beier and Georg Rox. Since 2008, Agita Rando has been working in Berlin as a pianist, composer and organist.

Béla Meinberg is a German pianist, based in Hamburg and Berlin. He has worked with some of the finest Jazz musicians around including Billy Hart, Seamus Blake, Matt Penman, Chris Cheek, Doug Weiss and John Stowell. His playing characterises a lyrical approach, always swinging and a good sense of humour - constantly aiming to build on his musical ability. Whilst respecting the tradition of jazz, his priority is always searching for something new, both as an instrumentalist and as a composer. Béla has been featured in great festivals and locations during his career, such as the ElbJazz Festival, JazzBaltica, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Las Palmas and Jazzsommer Augsburg. He was awarded first prize at the Steinway solo piano competition of Hamburg, as well as third prize at Yamaha solo piano competition Nuremberg. With trio MMO he released the album „MMO feat. Chris Cheek - the hiker“. The „Béla Meinberg Trio“ released its first album „It’s a Game“ on Bandcamp.com in May 2020.

Paulo Morello studied jazz guitar at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts and at The New School in New York, with Jim Hall, Attila Zoller and Richie Beirach, among others. He is considered one of the most versatile jazz guitarists in Europe. Morello currently performs extensively with his "Sambop" quartet, his trio with Belgian guitar legend Philip Catherine and the "Brazilian Experience Quartet", which he leads together with Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius. Robert Keßler is a guitarist and composer whose music combines contemporary jazz with world music, blues and pop. After studying guitar with Kurt Rosenwinkel in Berlin, he increasingly opened up to other genres and musical cultures, recorded "Emilias Lächeln" and "Moravica" with the band Klezmeyers and worked with artists such as Jocelyn B. Smith, Elen Wendt, New York Voices, Udo Lindenberg, Felix Jaehn and Herbert Grönemeyer. Keßler's current trio album "Bloodline" was recorded with bassist Andreas Henze and drummer Tobias Backhaus and will be released by GLM Music in 2021.

A singer/songwriter who keeps away from temporary trends and consistently follows his own route, can set individual accents and develop their own profile in the long term. Ben Barritt loves timeless and multi-dimensional songs that gaze beyond the usual pop horizons. The versatile singer, guitarist, and songwriter was born in the UK in 1984 and used to be be firmly anchored in the London scene for years. He has performed with personalities such as Bobby McFerrin and Kenny Wheeler and on stages like renowned Royal Albert Hall. On his 2019 release, Everybody's Welcome, Barritt covers a wide range of musical, atmospheric and sound-aesthetic ground. He is inspired by British folk rock icons like Nick Drake and John Martyn, Stevie Wonder's advanced gospel funk, the clever ideas of pop thinkers, Steely Dan, and Joni Mitchell's groundbreaking collaborations with jazz stars. Barritt's compositions entice with catchy, unobtrusively beautiful melodies and unexpected harmonic changes. Sophisticated and dynamic arrangements reward repeated listening with ever new discoveries.

Arik Strauss is an israeli born international jazz pianist and composer (the grandson of the author Arie Ludwig Strauss and the great grandson of the famous philosopher Martin Buber). His jazz education was mainly established in New York in the 1990s, where he spent 12 years. Strauss's project, Closing the Circle (also the title of his 8th album, recorded in Berlin), is mainly a trio project. Playing with him are Andrea Marcelli, Berlin based Italien drummer who played with musicians, such as Wayne Shorter and Mitchel Forman, and German born bassist Andreas Henze who played with Lee Konitz, Mark Murphy, Hannelore Hoger, among others. All the album's compositions were composed by Strauss in Berlin, telling the story of his coming to the city, the people he met there and the places he visited. He named the album Closing the Circle, for in coming to Berlin he has, in a way, closed a circle which was left open when his father's family left Germany before the horrors of the Second World War broke out.

Béla Meinberg is a German pianist, based in Hamburg and Berlin. He has worked with some of the finest Jazz musicians around including Billy Hart, Seamus Blake, Matt Penman, Chris Cheek, Doug Weiss and John Stowell. His playing characterises a lyrical approach, always swinging and a good sense of humour - constantly aiming to build on his musical ability. Whilst respecting the tradition of jazz, his priority is always searching for something new, both as an instrumentalist and as a composer. Béla has been featured in great festivals and locations during his career, such as the ElbJazz Festival, JazzBaltica, Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Las Palmas and Jazzsommer Augsburg. He was awarded first prize at the Steinway solo piano competition of Hamburg, as well as third prize at Yamaha solo piano competition Nuremberg. With trio MMO he released the album „MMO feat. Chris Cheek - the hiker“. The „Béla Meinberg Trio“ released its first album „It’s a Game“ on Bandcamp.com in May 2020.

The well-balanced combination of minimal music, complex rhythms, vocal melodies, and multidimensional harmonies characterize the play of Benedikt Jahnel. With his compositions, the Berlin-based pianist and composer creates delicate structures that create an almost enchanting attraction for the listener. His second passion, mathematics, flows into his music in the best sense of the word: crystal clear transparency and large forms design the framework for intense moods. Concert tours to nearly 50 countries, appearances at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Jazz Baltica, Carnegie Hall New York, as well as numerous sideman and soloist recordings at ECM and ACT show his boundless creativity and drive.

Johannes von Ballestrem is a German pianist living in Berlin. He is known for his diversity, being able to perform in a variety of traditional and modern jazz styles. With different bands he regularly performs in Germany and internationally. He has shared the bandstand with jazz greats like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Greg Cohen, Norma Winstone, Eric Harland, Kurt Elling, Jim Black and Till Brönner.

Matthias Trippner, drummer and composer from Hamburg, living in Berlin, challenges himself in his latest project: He dissolves the classical rhythm section (keys, bass, drums) and plays all three instruments simultaneously. The beats are played with the feet and the hands provide the bass lines, harmonies and the unmistakable Leslie sound on Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes. Trippner has found a partner in guitarist Janko Lauenberger, who completes the duo with his expertise through the themes and solos played with heart and soul. In their program they mix groovy music from the genres of jazz and bossanova. For this evening they will be joined by conga specialist Robby Geerken, who gives the duo an additional drive.

Ron Spielman is driven: he travels the music world from singer / songwriter to folk, pop, blues to rock and has over 30 years of experience that allows him to go to his own music in a relaxed manner. Together with the San Francisco-born singer and songwriter Shannon Callahan, who wrote songs for Jocelyn B. Smith, Maike von Bremen and the Nighthawks and toured the world with Chris Norman for many years, Ron Spielman founded this wonderful folk duo.The two Berliners by choice present American blues and folk songs with melodious acoustic guitars, slide guitars and captivatingly beautiful two-part vocals.

"Have you ever experienced a violin that can speak, laugh, cry, sound happy, sad, melancholic and cheerful?" An evening of breathtaking technique, profound tone, brilliant virtuosity and touching expressiveness.

Daniel Stawinski began classical piano lessons at the age of 6. A few years later, he switched to jazz, taught by Alexander von Schlippenbach and Aki Takase.
From 2001 to 2005 he studied jazz piano at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music and was a member of BuJazzO. From 2005 he lived in Paris, performing in France and neighbouring countries in the spectrum between jazz and Latin American music.
Since 2015 he has been back in Berlin, where he formed both the Kammerjazz Kollektiv and a new piano trio (with Igor Spallati on bass and Diego Pinera on drums).
He has performed all over the world, including at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Marciac Jazz Festival, Movimentos Arts Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Martinique Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival de Port-au-Prince and Jazz Festival de Saint-Louis. With Clave Azul he won the 1st prize at the Berlin Jazz & Blues Awards in 2005.

The music created by the Brazilian pianist Rossano Snel encompasses ethereal harmonies, ambient soundscapes and confrontational feelings, shifting through styles in a fluid, emotional way. In his own words: “I play simple melodies with a lot of heart”. Born and raised in the south of Brazil, Rossano played keys and synths in many different bands during his youth, being involved with composition, electronic and also classical music since he was a teenager. After a period of working in a studio, he soon started to produce and record the pieces he was composing. This path lead him to work with film music, composing for several films, documentaries and series, that were broadcasted by HBO, Netflix, arte, ZDF, ARD and Canal Brasil. He also writes and produces songs for other artists. His latest own releases are: ‚Healing Harmonies‘ and ‚Maria’s Waltz‘ and can be found in all the streaming services.

From 1995 to 1998, Chris Adams lived in Malta, where he devoted himself to the piano as a solo instrument after having completed his higher education. The result ‘portraits in black & white’ is an attempt to showcase essential influences in the form of medleys. Nine portraits of well-known jazz musicians and a self-portrait were created. At the same time, he worked on the transfer of rhythmic structures of Latin American percussion to the keyboard. Later he composed with the intention of combining these influences with his German roots. In his current solo project, Chris Adams' SMOKIN' PIANO JOINT, he connects with the original intentions of his TRIO '68 and is focused on the simple attempt to delve into good songs in an improvisational style. To let concise, expressive compositions develop in their essence through a minimum of guidelines. It doesn't matter whether it's an original or a foreign composition to begin with.

In an evening fully dedicated to the jazz guitar, Gur and Johan will be playing a selection of exciting original compositions, tunes from the tradition of jazz guitar, and some of the old Broadway classic standards.

"Sounds of Brazil" is a project Lucia Fodde started in 2018 with Daniel Marques on guitar, Pedro "Trigo" Santana on bass and Amoy Ribas on drums/percussions. This is an exciting journey into the MPB (Musica Popular Brazileira). Jobim, Caymmi, de Moraes and Nascimento are only some of the composers Lucia has chosen to represent the marvelous Brazilian repertoire. Tonight the project is presented as a trio.

Dynamic interplay, sophisticated arrangements and plenty of space for improvisation...Since 2015, the two guitarists Oliver Heinze and Timo Bautsch have blended styles from classical, rock and jazz, presenting an energetic mix of musical genres from Latin and world music, to club techno beats. They have created their very own sound for enthusiastic audiences at shows home and abroad. Their ability to produce a vibrant ensemble sound as a duo, using both nylon and steel string guitars, creates a unique experience for the audience. Duo Enyp’s repertoire includes not only original compositions but also arrangements of well-known pieces by Rodrigo y Gabriela, Django Reinhart, Gloria Estefan, and others.

As a popular sideman both on stage and in the studio, pianist and composer Simon Anke accompanies artists such as Jocelyn B. Smith, Keimzeit, Tina Tandler and the Babelsberg Film Orchestra. Since 2016 he has been working for the tv production ‚The Voice Of Germany‘ as an accompanist. In his solo piano concerts, he plays his own compositions and all-time favourites from Elvis to Tom Waits via Daft Punk to Billie Eilish. A journey from the down below to the surface, from the heart to the ear.

Ludwig Hornung began his education at the age of six with classical pianolessons and drumlessons, during the following years he won several prizes at jazz and classic competitions. In 2006 he began to study Jazz-Piano in Stuttgart, in 2008 he transfered to the Jazz Institut Berlin, where he finished his studies with top grade, taking lessons with Prof. Hubert Nuss, Prof. David Friedman and Prof. Kurt Rosenwinkel. At the same time he took classical lessons with Prof. Susanne Grützmann. He appeared with the Dima Bondarev Quintet at the competition of the Festival „Jazz à Montauban“ in France, where the group won the first prize. Tours led this group to the Festival „Jazz Bez“ in L'viv (Ukraine) and to „Jazz nad Odra“ (Poland). Other Festivals, where Hornung appeared, were the Jazzopen Stuttgart, German Jazz Nights in Brussels (Belgium), Jazz Festival Lyons (France) and the Nachwuchs-Jazzfestival Leipzig. His musical activities led him to France, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Czechia, Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, Netherlands, Turkey and in the USA.

Wolfgang Köhler worked among others with: Herb Geller, Benny Bailey, Jiggs Whigham, Ack van Rooyen and Till Brönner. Since 1999 he has been professor of jazz piano at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin.

Declan Forde and Francisco Batista meet in a unique setting where they will perform, relying on intuition and past experiences, music that was never arranged, but it reminisces of very well-known melodies. Declan Forde is a pianist from Scotland and has been living in Berlin since 2014. In these past six years Forde has become the pianist of choice in Berlin across a spectrum of musical situations. From performing the music of Duke Ellington with American bassist Greg Cohen (Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Woody Allen, etc.); original music with James Banner’s Usine to freely improvised music. Born in Ushuaia, Argentina, Francisco Batista started playing the guitar professionally at 19, when he decided to study music. Going from Jazz to Tango music, he participated in different projects in the United States and Argentina and toured with famous artists such as Stephane Wrembler, Sebastien Giniaux, Gonzalo Bergara, among others. Living in Berlin since 2018, he has released three albums with original music.

With his various vintage keyboards in his Matti Klein Soul Trio and on the grand piano as MD for Brazilian soul superstar Ed Motta, Klein earned his reputation as one of the most interesting young groove jazzers on the German scene, playing at renowned clubs such as Ronnie Scott's in London, the Blue Note in Tokyo, the Highline Ballroom in New York, as well as at international festivals such as Pori Jazz, Jazz in Marciac and the Leverkusener Jazztage. The man with the smart hat has also shared stage and studio with stars such as Nils Landgren, Jimmy Somerville, David T. Walker, Sarah Connor and Herbert Grönemeyer. The Matti Klein Acoustic Trio dedicates this special evening to the repertoire of a legendary pianist of the soul jazz era: Bobby Timmons.

Lionel Haas was born in Bonn on 27 December 1971. He took his first piano lessons at the age of nine and developed an early interest in jazz, blues and rock. At the end of 1999 he moved to Berlin, where he began to make a name for himself by performing in Berlin's jazz venues. In spring 2002 he founded the Lionel Haas Quintet. This evolved into the sextet formation BLOWING FRONT in 2007, which features three-horn arrangements of his original compositions in the style of straight-ahead jazz and groove music. Blowing Front won the 'Jazz and Blues Award' in 2007. In addition, Lionel Haas works as a supporting artist in various notable band projects in Berlin and continues to develop his musical versatility.

Latvian-born Agita Rando studied church music at the Latvian Music Academy in Riga. A scholarship brought her to Bremen in 2000, where she completed graduate studies in organ playing under the tuition of Hans-Ola Ericsson and Harald Vogel. Whilst working as a musician in the genres church music, classical music and jazz, Agita also studied jazz-piano under Joe Dinkelbach, Ed Kröger, Detlev Beier and Georg Rox. Since 2008, Agita Rando has been working in Berlin as a pianist, composer and organist.

Rolf Zielke has played with Charlie Mariano, Thomas Quasthoff, Mike Stern, Hendrik Meurkens, David Friedman, Ed Motta and many others. He works with international contemporary jazz projects and with Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and Oriental musicians: his musical path from jazz and South America to the music of the "Middle East" has shaped his artistic profile in a special way.

Always spontaneous, full of surprises, with great joy in playing and a fat groove. This duo performs 'all time favourites' and their own compositions. Matti Klein is a brilliant jazz pianist and was a founding member of the German jazzfunk cult band Mo' Blow. His passion for vintage instruments like Wurlitzer and Rhodes Bass are the main inspiration for his own current project Soul Trio. Since 2013, he has been the musical director and keyboardist for worldwide performances with Brazilian soul-jazz icon Ed Motta. Tayfun Schulzke uses a wide range of unusual percussion instruments. He learned African rhythms and expanded his skills especially with Indian tabla (Prof. Sankha Chatterjee / Calcutta), Cuban conga (rumba with J.A.Mehnert) and cajon. In addition to studio work, acting and television appearances, Tayfun Schulzke has also performed at various festivals.

La BOSSA is a Berlin based band with Miriam Netti on piano and vocals, Johan Leijonhufvud on guitar, playing a fine selection of Jazz standards, and Brazilian evergreens for all traditional jazz aficionados. Miriam Netti was born and raised in Puglia - Italy, and now has lived in Berlin since few years. She got her first piano lesson when she was 6 years old and later was introduced to the music of the great Italian composers such as Ennio Morricone, Luigi Tenco, Piero Piccioni. Netti started her career with PM Jazz Orchestra at Auditorium - "Parco della Musica“ in Rome April 2007. She has already released two albums as a bandleader, "Miriam Netti“ 2007 and "La BOSSA“ 2016, and one as guest vocalist “The Art of Jazz” to be released August 6th next year. Johan is considered one of the most promising protagonists of contemporary Swedish jazz.

Reggie Moore is an artist who is able to touch his audience in an indescribable way. “…with his strongly propulsive beat, crispness of articulation and emotional directness, Reggie Moore does indeed communicate to a wide range of listeners…”, says Nat Hentoff. His multi-layered playing, which he himself calls communicable music, stirs up images and feelings, creating a lyrical, sensual and sensitive world in which Reggie and his listeners can meet and communicate with each other. Intense exploration of his own personality has allowed Reggie and his wonderful talent to mature into what his fans hear in him today - a wizard at the piano. Together with Italian bassist Igor Spallati and drummer Ernst Bier, they dedicate the evening to the music of pianist Bill Evans.

After learning classical music for 10 years Marque caught the jazz "bug" and has been trying to understand and perform this art form for some 40 odd years. “I've been lucky enough to play with some phenomenal musicians such as Tony Scott, Bireli Lagrene, Ira Sullivan, Ernie Watts, the cult group Embryo, Paramashivam, as well as my best friends Chris Hirson and Geoff Goodman. I've played with many accomplished and enthusiastic musicians in Freiburg and Berlin, Germany, as well as in the USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, etc. For the past 13 years I've been primarily working with and accompanying Lyambiko, who has developed into one of Germany's premier jazz singers.” At solo piano concerts Marque plays primarily his own arrangements of old "classics" and standards, or bossa nova and blues-oriented pieces, as well as his own compositions.

Eren began his professional training with a classical education at Badisches Konservatorium Karlsruhe and continued his studies in Jazz at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin with Reggie Moore and Jiggs Whigham. As a sought-after sideman, he works with artists from all over the world and performs concerts all over Europe. Collaborations and record releases with the duo Âme and his own project Pied Plat soon followed paying tribute to his roots in classical music and journey via jazz to techno. Eren is a wanderer, from various wind instruments to DJ-ing and producing, he has constantly expanded the dimensions of his work. But one love that has always remained is the grand piano and its versatility to provide melody, harmony and rhythm as a whole.