Event information

The Lilith Walkenhorst Quintet from the Cologne jazz scene creates worlds of sound with poetry settings, vocal readings and new perspectives on jazz standards that touch and resonate. The familiar is not simply interpreted, but retold with a personal touch and a contemporary perspective.

The voice takes centre stage - sometimes as a lyrical instrument without lyrics that merges with the other instruments, sometimes as a narrative force in the foreground. The result is a lively dialogue between word and sound, tradition and the present.

Every Tuesday: Jam Session in the Jazz-Schmiede. The evening always starts at 8pm with an opener concert set with different bands every week. Afterwards, from around 9pm, there is an open jam session - anyone can come and join in to jam with other musicians and the opening band. Admission is free, so the sessions are also a great opportunity to get to know the Schmiede in an uncomplicated way.

Enchanting classical mugham singing (Azerbaijan)

The ensemble around singer Nisbet Sedrayeva is dedicated to classical Azerbaijani mugham - a highly developed modal music tradition that combines improvisation, emotional depth and formal freedom. Accompanied by tar, kamancha, daf and nagara, a soundscape unfolds that incorporates historical influences from Persia, the Caucasus and the Turkic-speaking world and moulds them into an independent musical language. Mugham does not live from the reproduction of fixed melodies, but from the imaginative shaping of a mode in constant flux. This art form, which was once cultivated both on secular occasions and in spiritual contexts, is now one of the central forms of musical expression in Azerbaijanand has been recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Nisbet Sedrayeva, born in 1998 in the Shamakhi region and educated at leading music schools and the State Conservatory in Baku, is one of the outstanding representatives of the young mugham generation. Numerous competition successes, international appearances and engagements - including at the International Mugham Centre - document her artistic path. At her side are Rustam Muslimov (tar), Elnur Salahov (kamancha) and Siyavush Karimov (percussion), experienced musicians who are deeply rooted in tradition and at the same time cultivate a lively, contemporary performance practice. With a classical line-up, the ensemble presents mugham as an open, expressive art form - concentrated, virtuosic and of great emotional immediacy.

Still Waters (Record Release)

From the Black Forest via Berlin and New York to London - Niklas Lukassen unites exciting individualists from the jazz scenes of Amsterdam, London, Paris and Berlin in his internationally renowned quartet with alto saxophonist Ben Van Gelder, pianist Ivo Neame and drummer Francesco Ciniglio. Like water, the ensemble makes its way through multi-layered realms in flowing improvisations - only to cause huge waves to crash when they deliberately collide.
For the concert, the quartet will present material from Lukassen's debut album Still Waters (released with liner notes by Ron Carter, his mentor, under whom Lukassen completed his master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music). A bassist, composer and vocalist, and currently a PhD student at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Lukassen combines painterly instrumental lyricism with an unmistakable bandleading potential that is making the European jazz scene increasingly sit up and take notice.

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Admission 19:30
Lindy Hop taster/taster lesson for concert visitors 8.00 pm
Concert 20:30

Band: Vincent Pinn Swing Quartet
DJ: JazzMedic

The trumpeter Vincent Pinn comes from the Saar-Lor-Lux Lindy scene to Düsseldorf to invite you to dance together with his wingmen of swing with authentic and energetic swing

On this evening, the Jazz-Schmiede will be transformed into a ballroom: all chairs out and dancing! Just like in the legendary Savoy in Harlem, where Lindy Hop was created in the 1920s - invented, danced and celebrated by the African-American community. Night after night, people improvised, tried things out and brought swing music to life on the dance floor. Today we are bringing this feeling back: a dance full of energy, spontaneity and joy that has long since conquered the world again.

The art of travesty

www.travestie-goldengirls.de

Every Tuesday: Jam Session in the Jazz-Schmiede. The evening always starts at 8pm with an opener concert set with different bands every week. Afterwards, from around 9pm, there is an open jam session - anyone can come and join in to jam with other musicians and the opening band. Admission is free, so the sessions are also a great opportunity to get to know the Schmiede in an uncomplicated way.

20 years of the Pablo Held Trio

The Pablo Held Trio - together with bassist Robert Landfermann and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel - has been shaping the European jazz scene for two decades. The trio is known for its intuitive interaction and fearless joy of playing. Their concerts are full of surprises, always in the field of tension between composition and improvisation. Audiences, the specialised press and jazz greats are equally fascinated. Ralph Towner sees them as "a pioneering example of the further development of the piano trio in jazz", while John Scofield describes them as "one of the great bands of our time".
To mark its 20th anniversary, the Pablo Held Trio will be collaborating with special guests throughout 2026. In May, they will be joined by the outstanding British trumpeter Alexandra Ridout, one of the most exciting voices of her generation.

www.pabloheld.com

Anniversary edition 2026 - 70 years of ESC

To mark this year's 70th Eurovision anniversary, Mayo Velvo is presenting a special "Best Of Eurovision" programme with a very special musical journey through eight decades of Eurovision history. Naturally with polyglot pathos hits, combined with illustrious stories and dazzling background knowledge, which always add glamour but also unintentional comedy to this largest popular music festival.

The focus of the programme changes with each edition. In this edition, the dramaturgical focus is not only on the ESC history of last year's winning country, Austria this year, but also on popular winning titles and, of course, one or two ESC gems that have been proven to be unjustly relegated to the bottom of the table.

With visual and newly arranged music and piano recordings (including Just.Mike or by Thomas Möller), the Velvo team gets to the heart of many a dramatic Eurovision production and also, with unerring instinct, picks out a supposed favourite for the next ESC victory even before it has won.victory in the programme even before the Grand Final ("Rise like a Phoenix" 2014 / "Heroes" 2015 / "Amar pelos dois" 2017).

And so, every year, an ever-growing audience enjoys a varied evening of songs with well-known Grand Prix hits, almost forgotten losers and many an uncrowned Eurovision classic - lovingly arranged, commented on and garnished with occasional surprise guests.

The perfect way to get in the mood for the annual Eurovision Song Contest before it's time to say... "12 points go to..."!

Dammnation stands for ecstatic groove, collective energy and crossing musical boundaries. The ensemble is less a classic band than a close circle of friends who have dedicated themselves to an uncompromising sound. Chaos meets precision, ecstasy meets depth, dance floor meets experiment.
Dammnation recently caused a sensation with "Studio 44": two nights in a row, the domicil was completely sold out and people celebrated nights full of driving grooves, furious guitar solos and exuberant euphoria. A fever dream between funk, jazz and rock and a clear statement of the band's appeal beyond the city limits.
Musically, Dammnation moves somewhere between the funk legends of Parliament Funkadelic, the rhythmic force of The Meters, the psychedelic energy of Santana, the rock attitude of Led Zeppelin and the open joy of experimentation of Miles Davis in his late phase. A sound that defies pigeonholing and yet ignites immediately.
In addition, Dammnation regularly collaborates with international and national greats, including the US band Butcher Brown, the German Ruffcats, Doug Shorts and British guitar legend Tom Ford aka The Tennis Champion.
Dammnation live is not a concert. It is a state.

"not obsessed but kinda into it" album release concert

The Carla Köllner Big Band celebrates its album release concert on 09.05.26 at the Jazzschmiede Düsseldorf - one week before the official release.
The 19-piece ensemble was in the studio at the end of January 26, the album "not obsessed but kinda into it" will be released on 16 May 2026 on the Cologne label JazzJazz Records.
The music combines modern and traditional big band styles with subtle pop influences. The music conveys the emotions, strength and vulnerability of the bandleader. Carla has been active as a freelance musician in the jazz scene for several years - as a composer, arranger, bandleader and trombonist, and her heart beats for the "big band" concept. She has worked with the WDR Big Band, HR Big Band, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown Global Big Band, Bulgarian Radio Big Band and the Folkwang Jazz Orchestra, among others.
With her own project, she is now realising her very own sonic vision of a contemporary big band

"Jazz Means: I dare you"

Wayne Shorter, one of the greatest composers and musicians of modern times, left planet Earth in 2023, but his music and philosophy are still omnipresent. At this concert, the formation around trumpeter Elias Brieden enters Shorter's musical world and also contributes its own compositions.

Every Tuesday: Jam Session at the Jazz-Schmiede. The evening always starts at 8pm with an opening concert set featuring a different formation each week. Afterwards, from around 9pm, there is an open jam session - anyone can come and join in to jam with other musicians and the opening band. Admission is free, so the sessions are also a great opportunity to get to know the Schmiede in an uncomplicated way.

With music into the hearts of the audience

he best of both worlds: a cosy living room concert with selected artists meets the entertainment factor and tough competition of a slam.

The success story of the poetry slam is unrivalled on German stages. From small underground events in front of a few enthusiasts, the spectacle of words has developed into the country's largest literary movement and has long since played on the big stage. The Songslam is now a playful innovation. The rules follow the tradition of the poetry slam: each musical act tries to win the hearts of the audience with self-written songs in a limited time. An audience jury hands out scores for each performance, allowing them to put together their own favourite concert over several rounds.

Christine Brinkmann and Tobias Bauer are a well-rehearsed moderation duo. This project now gives established audience favourites and promising newcomers to the Düsseldorf singer/songwriter scene a new stage. Fast, direct, entertaining - and a concert evening in a cosy setting.

www.songslam-duesseldorf.de

The focus is always on the shared sense of excitement. The melodies often sound like old acquaintances, sometimes coming across as cheerful and dance-like and occasionally flowing rapidly into ecstatic modern jazz. Then again, you think you can hear Basie swinging, until a floating melancholy characterises the chamber music ballads, which radiate an endless calm and dissolve into determined and gripping funky grooves.

The JOUNG JAZZ TALENT AWARD enters its 5th round. In the late evening of 16 May 2026, it will once again be "The winner is ...".
Four exceptional talents on the tenor saxophone - two of them study at the HfMT Cologne, the other two at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen - will compete against each other. A five-member jury and the public vote will decide who will be the 2026 Jazz Talent of the Year on tenor saxophone. As in previous years, it will probably not be easy to choose the winner. Because one thing is clear: all of the nominees are extremely good at playing their instrument. They are all highly talented, highly motivated, love and live music, jazz and their tenor saxophone.

https://jazztalentaward.de/

The Kultur(r)etten have been organising the Culture Club, the only LGBTQ show in the state capital Düsseldorf, under the motto "Stars, starlets and sluts" or "Without rehearsals all the way to the top" for 30 years, since 1993. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a cheerful, wild but also trashy show, which often surprises the performers and is constantly being reinvented.

Every Tuesday: Jam Session in the Jazz-Schmiede. The evening always starts at 8pm with an opener concert set with different bands every week. Afterwards, from around 9pm, there is an open jam session - anyone can come and join in to jam with other musicians and the opening band. Admission is free, so the sessions are also a great opportunity to get to know the Schmiede in an uncomplicated way.

Iconic Mvett sounds and storytelling (Gabon)

Tsira Ndong Bibang is a master musician and Mvett epic singer from Gabon - an honorary title that recognises his outstanding role in one of Central Africa's most impressive traditions. As a member of the Fang people, he embodies the living art of Mvett Oyeng: the singing of orally transmitted epics accompanied by playing the iconic stringed instrument of the same name. This ancient art was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2025.
Mvett is more than music - it is a world view. Tsira Ndong Bibang carries a universal message to the world: he warns urgently of the dangers of dwindling drinking water supplies and ecological crises and campaigns both artistically and politically for the preservation of natural resources and living cultural traditions.

Cologne double bassist Caris Hermes, winner of the WDR Jazz Prize, forms her quartet, which combines modern straight-ahead jazz with stylistic openness, clear groove and rhythmic agility.

carishermes.de/

The tree symbolises life and transience, growth and decay. As a silent observer, it is a habitat, a witness to change and part of the unstoppable rhythm of time. In "A Tree Tale", the Alys Trio dedicates itself to these perspectives and tells musical stories about nature, cycles and contrasts. Inspired by jazz and improvised music, they create multi-layered soundscapes between lyrical, folk and abstract.

pascalburbach.com

Latin American soundscapes between tradition and renewal (Colombia)

The siblings Natalia, Sebastián and Sergio Castrillón from Manizales, Colombia, combine harp, cellos and vocals in their Senase Trio to create a fascinating encounter between tradition and experimentation. Their original compositions interweave Latin American folk with classical music and improvisation - characterised by Natalia's innovative harp playing and expressive singing, the virtuoso cello voices of Sebastián and the multidisciplinary sound research of Sergio, who now teaches at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. At the concert, the trio will present its new Latin American programme - and celebrate its German debut at the same time. An evening that opens up global soundscapes and shows how deeply rooted cultural tradition and contemporary musical thinking can enrich each other.

Female!

The multi-award-winning CSM Big Band presents a small, exciting selection from the cornucopia of female composers and arrangers active in big band jazz worldwide.
With Carla Köllner, Kathrine Windfeld, Karolina Strassmayer, Nikki Iles, Maria Schneider, Claudia Döffinger, countries such as Germany, USA, Denmark, England, Korea and Japan are represented in the current programme.

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

Songs by David Shire, Benjamin Britten, John Dowland, Joni Mitchel... and surprises

Eleanor Grant (vocals, double bass) and Gus McQuade (guitar) share a passion for bringing music to life in all its facets. They met while studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London - it quickly became clear that they shared an enthusiasm for interweaving the old with the new and making forgotten works sound new. Since their debut at the Wigmore Hall in 2023, they have performed all over the UK. With their debut album Seasons in Time (Deux-Elles), they honed their unmistakable tone between intimacy and stylistic openness. Eleanor and Gus are now making their European debut at the Schumannfest in Düsseldorf - with a programme that combines jazz and blues with original compositions and songs from their album. Between lyrical delicacy and rhythmic freedom, a multi-layered musical narrative emerges that effortlessly transcends boundaries.

A song only lasts a few minutes - and yet it can be immediately moving. 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/20076-eleanor-gus

The jazz group at St Ursula Grammar School in Düsseldorf has been in existence since 1992. In addition to real jazz standards such as So What, Blue Bossa and Freedom Jazz Dance, the programme also includes current pop songs by Adele and Ed Sheeran. The line-up of the Jazz-AG typically consists of the rhythm section (drums, bass, piano and guitar), a few wind instruments and a singer, although the actual line-up varies from year to year. Sebastian Gahler, head of the Jazz-AG, places great emphasis on teaching improvisation techniques and honing the skills of playing together.