HARMONY ACROSS CONTINENTS: THE EAST WEST EUROPEAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Official Orchestra and Ambassador of the European Capital of Culture 2022 Novi Sad and the European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010 The East West European Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Uwe Plath – serving as the official orchestra of the European Capital of Culture Novi Sad 2022 and the European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010, among others – has been on tour since its founding in 2007 through 2026 with many great jazz musicians. These include American Grammy winner 1979 Dennis Rowland / USA, Jerry Bergonzi / USA, David Liebman / USA, Alex Sipiagin / RU, J.D. Walter / USA, Boris Kozlov / RU (Director of the Mingus Big Band New York), Deborah J. Carter / USA, Peter Beets / NL, Norbert Gottschalk / D, Wycliffe Gordon / USA, Peter Weniger / USA, Gerard Presencer / USA, Vincent Herring / USA, Milan Svoboda / CZ, Dian Pratiwi / Bali Indonesia, and many others. In 2010, the orchestra performed as an ambassador and representative of the 'European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010' on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany at 'Istanbul 2010', the other European Capital of Culture for 2010.

As part of its cooperation with the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague, the Glen Buschmann Jazz Academy Dortmund, and other partners and jazz institutions, the orchestra will be extensively supported by the German-Czech Future Fund during its concerts in Germany and the Czech Republic in 2026.

Within both a musical and social context, the orchestra has maintained a well-balanced harmony between the eastern and western hemispheres for many years against the backdrop of a pan-European horizon. Year after year, young and aspiring jazz talents are supported and showcased here—always with an eye on the pan-European and ever-evolving global jazz scene. Standing at the highest musical level, it not only delivers excellent professional performances, but also fosters deep international understanding among its members and fans, bound together soul-to-soul by a shared passion for jazz. Even though the European focus this year is directed toward international projects in the Czech Republic and Germany, the orchestra and its members also purposefully support musicians from Ukraine given the current situation.

It is this spirit, this mix of freshness and experience combined with multinational charisma, that gives the East West European Jazz Orchestra its unique selling point and makes it so successful.

For the 2026 concert tours—including most recently as an ambassador of the 2022 European Capital of Culture Novi Sad—the East West European Jazz Orchestra will perform in various projects and line-ups featuring international soloists such as Miroslav Hloucal (CZ), Daria Pereverzeva (D), Orest Filipov (UKR), Bojan Cvetkovic (SRB), Kimberly Helen Kurz (D), Kilian Schmitt (D), and others.

In a major part of the program, the young and rising jazz and soul vocalist Daria Pereverzeva will perform. Despite her young age, Daria "Dasha" Pereverzeva has been captivating the jazz scene for quite some time. She skillfully combines mainstream jazz with groove, funk, and soul elements, and knows like no other how to carry her audience along. She is a Federal Prizewinner of the Federal Republic of Germany and a Cultural Prizewinner of the City of Dortmund.

Later in the program, vocal soloists Kimberly Helen Kurz and Kilian Schmitt will take the stage. Kilian Schmitt is one of the most gifted jazz vocal acrobats and rising voices on the German jazz scene. With a phenomenal vocal range that is second to none in the scene, he moves effortlessly between pop, jazz, and funk in terms of style. Kimberly Helen Kurz is a fantastic singer with a great mainstream and swing feel, who most recently caused a stir at the Ubud Jazz Festival in Bali, among other venues. Two magnificent voices that, together with Daria Pereverzeva, will immensely enrich the program.

The further program is expected to feature Czech star trumpeter Miroslav Hloucal, exceptional Serbian pianist Bojan Cvetković, and Ukrainian saxophonist Orest Filipov.

As a recipient of the Folkwang Prize NRW 2021 and the domicil Sponsorship Award 2022, Orest Filipov is one of the most important tenor saxophonists of a new, emerging generation of jazz musicians in Germany and is in high demand internationally. He thrills his audience with ever-new interpretations of well-known jazz standards and is considered one of the most talented new European top players of modern jazz.

Miroslav Hloucal is one of the most accomplished composers, arrangers, and instrumentalists on the Czech jazz scene. On his instruments—trumpet and flugelhorn—he belongs to the absolute top soloists in Europe.

Look forward to an evening shaped equally by international top stars and young, aspiring talents, featuring many different jazz styles and musical surprises.

Conducted by Uwe Plath (provisional line-up) Trumpet: Miroslav Hloucal CZ, Sean Welsh D, Boris Maksimovic UKR, Jaroslav Kohautek CZ, Bettina Will D, Clemens Szudra D, Engelkenmeier D Trombone: Frank Janetta D, Finn Preuss D, Daniel Johanning D, Julius Neuhaus D, Imme Krauskopf D, Tereza Drvotova CZ Saxophone: Luca Gaido D, Lukas Alex CZ, Orest Filipov UKR, Ruth Krakor D, Max Meyer Marcotty D Rhythm: Simon Hofstetter D – guitar, Joschka Hartmann D – piano, Florian Gasse D, Jannes Niewerth D – drums, David Danyi D – bass