Thomas Sauerborn MIRABELLE

With MIRABELLE , drummer and composer Thomas Sauerborn brings together five distinct voices which, when combined, form a distinctive collective sound. The unique line-up, featuring two trombones, has a decisive influence on the band’s sound. The trombone’s similarity to the human voice and the emotional nuances that arise from this lend the music a moving depth.
Sauerborn’s compositions are written specifically for this ensemble. They usually spring from an intuitive melody, from which a harmonic and rhythmic context unfolds, in which individual structures weave together to form a dynamic whole. The result is music that opens up space for both narrative expression and playful freedom: a dialogue between individuality and the collective.
Sauerborn, NICA artist 2024, is known for his work with bands such as Das Ende der Liebe (whose latest album *PERSIST*, featuring the Chinese performance artist su dance110, won the German Record Critics’ Award in 2025, and whose previous album *SCHNEE* was voted one of the top 20 albums of 2022 by GROOVE magazine), the pan-European improvisation collective Mount Meander (releasing on Cleanfeed, amongst others) and the trio Pollon (nominated for the German Jazz Prize 2023). With his solo project [zimbel], he has been exploring the soundscapes of a single suspended cymbal since 2015 – a radical distillation of his concept of ‘metamusic’: the fusion of individual voices into a resonant whole.
The quintet is his latest formation – an open interweaving of energy, precision and shared sonic alchemy.

“Most often, one hears a magnetic groove from him, which is not always easy to grasp metrically and is further developed polyrhythmically by the band. [...] A consistent and promising concept […] And always a pleasure to see in concert.”
Frankfurter Rundschau, 2026 – Hans-Jürgen Linke