Chemnitz becomes a stage for international bands

Musicians from eight partner cities have announced their participation in the 5th German Music Festival. From 9 to 12 May, they will bring their musical world to the stages of Chemnitz. Ensembles from the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, China, Russia, the USA, Finland and Poland will represent the musical traditions of their countries. If you would like to immerse yourself in the international sounds, you can hear all the ensembles from the twin cities at a joint concert on
11 May, between 2.30 and 4.30 pm on the Markt stage.

Jazz great from America performs

Jazz fans can look forward to the American Jack Schantz, a musician who has attracted international attention with jazz projects. In 1974, he joined a big band called the "Akron Jazz Workshop" and met the members of his own band there. Schantz made his breakthrough as leader of the "Cleveland Jazz Orchestra", as can be seen from the success of his 2004 album "Speechless". The following year, Schantz made a guest appearance with his quartet at the Chemnitz Jazz Festival - contacts that now need to be deepened. The jazz musicians - all lecturers at the University of Akron's Faculty of Music - also passed on their knowledge at a workshop at the Chemnitz School of Music.

The trumpeter, who still teaches at the University of Akron, is now accompanying an eight-piece student band to Chemnitz for the German Music Festival. They will be performing on 9 May at 11 am on the Neumarkt stage and on 11 May at 10.30 pm on the market square. And on 10 May at 10 a.m. in Neefepark and at 1 p.m. in the Chemnitzer-Center they will entertain visitors. It seems certain that Schantz will also refresh his contacts with the local jazz scene, for example at evening gigs in the Chemnitz Ratskeller.

Academy in Łódz sends young talent

The youth wind orchestra of the Łódz Music Academy will be travelling to Chemnitz by bus on 9 May and will be performing on the stage on the market square at 9 pm. Anyone who misses the performance of the "Wind Orchestra" from Łódz will have another chance to experience the Polish ensemble live, for example on 10 May at 8.30 pm on the Brückenstraße stage.

The composition of the youth wind orchestra of the Łódz Academy of Music varies depending on the number of students in the wind instrument class. In May, 40 of them will go on a concert tour to Chemnitz, with financial support from the Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation.

Blackley Band from Manchester between tradition and modernity

The history of the Blackley Band from Manchester goes back decades. Founded during the Second World War with a partly military background, it is now made up of civilian musicians and was successful enough to record its first CD in 2001 and perform in the famous Royal Albert Hall. Conductor Dan Prize, a renowned British composer of brass and wind music, has led the band since the beginning of the year and challenges the musicians with a repertoire ranging from traditional brass pieces to modern titles. The Blackley's can be heard in Chemnitz on 9 May at 19:30 on the Neumarkt stage and on 10 May at 18:30 on the Markt stage. Their music can also be heard on 10 May at 10 a.m. in the Chemnitz Centre and at 12 noon in Neefepark.

Mulhouse big band with swing

The twin city of Mulhouse is sending the Jazz Big Band of the Musikverein St Bartholomäus to the German Music Festival. It was founded just five years ago and is part of the traditional St Bartholomew Mulhouse Music Society. They will be performing on 9 May at 5 pm and on 10 May at 7.30 pm on the market square.

The big band brings together the best of the jazz scene from the east of France and the border triangle. This orchestra is inspired by the voice of Aretha Franklin, the funky rhythm of Tower of Power and the sound of Earth Wind & Fire. The 22 musicians transform their venues into real dancefloors as they sweep their audiences away with ballads and swing in the style of the 1930s.

Finnish sounds carried and unleashed

The sounds produced by Pekko Käppi from Finland on historical string instruments are of a completely different kind. Käppi represents the twin city of Tampere at the German Music Festival with typical Finnish music reminiscent of the myths of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The artist, who is extremely popular in Finland, has also performed at the opening programme of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. His music reflects the Finnish mentality par excellence - from sad to exuberant. He can be heard on 10 May at 7 pm on Jakobikirchplatz, on 11 May at 10:30 am in Neefepark and at 7:30 pm on the Markt stage.

Catchy tunes like Rosamunde from Ústí nad Labem

Dumplings and brass band music - hardly any other country is as clichéd as the Czech Republic. And the young brass musicians of "Mladá dechovka" from Ústí nad Labem keep the promise of the cliché: they present the best Bohemian brass music! The young musicians - aged between 12 and 14 - are mainly recruited from the Teplice Conservatory and the ZUŠ Art School in Ústí nad Labem. Fans of Bohemian brass music should make a note of the concerts, which can only be heard on 11 May at 6 pm on the Neumarkt in Chemnitz.

Powerful folklore

The ensemble "Lasorewyje sori" from Volgograd will provide typical Russian folklore - in Cossack outfits, the musicians will delight their Chemnitz audience with the typical instruments balalaika, cimbalom and harmonica as well as soloists with powerful voices. And not only at a concert on 9 May at 3.30 pm and on 10 May at 9.30 pm on the Neumarkt stage, but also on 10 May at 10 am during a short "guest performance" in the Chemnitz retirement home "SenVital". On 11 May at 10 a.m., they will play in Neefepark and bid farewell on 12 May at 11 a.m. with their performance on Jakobikirchplatz.

Far Eastern music up close

The Chinese guests from the twin city of Taiyuan will be bringing some unusual folklore with them. They will be playing Asian styles and instruments rather than typical brass band music. These Far Eastern sounds can be heard on 9 May at 12:30 pm and on 11 May at 9:30 pm on the Brückenstraße stage. The group will also be playing at the Chemnitz Center on 11 May at 10:30 and at Düsseldorfer Platz on 12 May at 12:30.

All concerts of the twin cities at a glance:

Joint concert
11. May 2.30 pm Market Stage

Jack Schantz & Band from Akron
9. May 11 a.m. Neumarkt stage
10. May 10 am Neefepark
10. May 1 pm Chemnitzer-Center
11. May 22:30 Market

Youth Wind Orchestra of the Łódz Academy of Music "Wind Orchestra"
9. May 9 p.m. Market stage.
10. May 8.30 pm Stage Brückenstraße

Blackley Band from Manchester
9. May 19:30 Neumarkt stage
10. May 10 a.m. Chemnitz Centre
10. May 12 noon Neefepark
10. May 6.30 pm Stage at the market

Jazz Big Band of the Musikverein St Bartholomäus from Mulhouse
9. May 5 p.m. Market stage
10. May 7:30 pm Stage Market.

Pekko Käppi from Tampere
10. May 7 pm Jakobikirchplatz
11. May 10:30 am Neefepark
11. May 19:30 Market stage.

Brass musicians from "Mladá dechovka" from Ústí nad Labem
11. May 6 pm Stage Neumarkt

"Lasorewyje sori" from Volgograd
9. May 15:30 Neumarkt stage
10. May 10 a.m.SenVital
11.May 10 a.m. Neefepark
11. May 21:30 Neumarkt stage
12. May 11:00 am Jakobikirchplatz

Folklore from Taiyuan
9. May 12:30 pm Stage Brückenstraße
11. May 10:30 a.m. Chemnitz Centre
11. May 21:30 Uhr Stage Brückenstraße
12. May 12:30 pm Düsseldorfer Platz.

Subject to change.

Further information about the music festival can be found at www.chemnitz.de and www.deutsches-musikfest.de.