Schumannfest // Jörg Kaufmann Trio

Scenes From Childhood

An extraordinary jazz trio approaches Robert Schumann's romantic sound world in its very own way: Jörg Kaufmann (saxophone, flutes), Mathias Haus (vibraphone) and Conrad Noll (double bass, cello) reinterpret the romantic character pieces in a transparent, chamber music-like jazz setting.
The aim is not to create crossover effects, but to carefully continue the music's narrative. Melodic lines remain recognisable, harmonic colours change, rhythms open up new spaces. The poetic intimacy of Robert Schumann's original is preserved - and at the same time illuminated with improvisational freedom.
The result is an independent sound world between romanticism, modern jazz language and free improvisation: intimate, dialogue-based and surprisingly close to the emotional essence of the original.

A song only lasts a few minutes - and yet it can touch you immediately. This is exactly what the Schumannfest is all about: songs and music that tell stories and awaken emotions. Under the motto "HEIMATEN" we ask: What does home mean today? Is it a place - or rather a memory, a relationship, a voice, a sound?

From 6 June to 26 June 2026, Düsseldorf will become a city of song. In the Tonhalle and at special locations in the city, you can listen to concerts ranging from intimate song recitals to chamber music, jazz and unusual formats. Christoph and Julian Prégardien, father and son, open the festival with songs by Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert - music that sounds both familiar and new, personal and yet understandable for everyone. In the dialogue between Robert and Clara Schumann and contemporary voices, the festival shows how music can preserve, question or reinvent homelands. Those who get involved may recognise that they can find themselves in these songs.

https://www.tonhalle.de/veranstaltung/schumannfest/20074-scenes-childhood