Women Composers in Big Band Jazz | The Institute of Music's Big Band Invites You

The University of Kassel Institute’s big band presents its program “Women Composers in Big Band Jazz.” Female instrumentalists, arrangers, and bandleaders in jazz have always faced challenges and remain underrepresented compared to their male counterparts. This is especially true in the big band genre.

Last semester, the University of Kassel’s Institute Big Band developed a program featuring the “Grande Dames” of the big band scene, with the aim of raising awareness of and honoring the artists Toshiko Akiyoshi, Carla Bley, and Marie Schneider. During the summer semester, this program was expanded by drawing a connection to a young German big band leader: Carla Köllner, a trombonist, composer, and arranger from Essen, whose four big band arrangements were rehearsed. With this program, the University Big Band aims to encourage young female jazz musicians to become more actively involved in this field and to showcase their talents.

The Kassel University Big Band consists primarily of students from the Institute of Music and a few guests.

cond Detlef Landeck
reeds Emil Becker, Paula Rüsel, Laura Groß, Eva Wolf, Alexandra Siebert, Celina Werkmeister, Josephine Besse
trumpets Kai Boldt, Vincent Nikolaus, Nik-Henryk Scherch, Julian Ostendorf, Jasmin Rode
trombones Feli Vopiča, Phillip Ment, Luisa Gück, Felix Linsmeier, Joachim Gückel
rhythm section Jonas Albusberger (g), Hannes Hirth (p), Friedrich Hirth (b), Leonard Arnemann (organ, vib, dr), Fridolin Parth (organ, dr)

Institute of Music