ATRIN MADANI

But rather than imitating these icons, Madani pays tribute by confidently forging his own path. Last year, he was nominated for the German Jazz Award for Debut Album of the Year – and tonight, he returns with a brand-new program. One thing’s for sure: it will be, as always, a feast for the ears!


Atrin Madani is a world traveler in jazz, firmly rooted in his Schöneberg neighborhood. Born in 1998, he is a Berliner without East or West before, he did not experience the division of the city, never saw the Wall. Berlin became the capital and the seat of government, but for him it is above all the German capital of jazz. And there are no borders, no walls. Jazz is a universal language.


It all began with Schumann, Mahler and Bach. At the age of ten, Atrin joined the Staats- und Domchor Berlin, sang with the DSO and the Berlin Philharmonic under Ingo Metzmacher and Sir Simon Rattle. In 2018, by which time he had begun his jazz vocal studies in Dresden, he was accepted into the vocal ensemble of the internationally renowned Bundesjazzorchester.In the fall of 2019, he moved from the Elbe to the Spree and now continues his studies at the Jazz Institute Berlin (JIB).


In Berlin, he has become a fixture on the local scene. In his still young career, Atrin has already had the great honor of performing on stage with the likes of Django Bates, Jiggs Whigham, Marc Secara, Christian von Kaphengst, Torsten Goods, Thomas Stieger, Hendrik Smock, Benny Brown, Lisa Bassenge, Peter Fessler and many more. In September 2017, he was given the opportunity to perform at the civic celebration of the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and in October 2021, at the awarding of the honorary citizenship of Berlin to the German President at the Red City Hall in Berlin.


Hila Kulik began studying piano at the age of 8 and graduated from the Jerusalem Academy in 2010. After playing with many of Israel's finest musicians, Hila came to New York in January 2014 and earned a Master's degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in January 2016. Over the past decade, Hila has performed with leading jazz musicians in Israel and abroad, includingAchinoam Nini (Noa), Antonio Hart, Donald Harrison, Michael Varekamp, Bria Skonberg, Pauline Jean (NYC), Shirzette Tinnin and many more. She has performed in countless venues and festivals from Israel to Europe to the USA. In addition to her pianistic activities, she works as a consultant and coordinator for the jazz program at the Aaron Copland School of Music.


Alexander Rueß - The Berlin-born Alexander Rueß is a freelance guitarist, composer and producer. He played in the concert line-up of the Bundesjazzorchester (BuJazzO) 2018/19 and studies at the Jazz Institute in Berlin and the Rytmisk Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. His teachers have included jazz greats such as Peter Bernstein, Sandra Hempel, Lage Lund, Paulo Morello, Håvard Wiik and Finn Wiesner. In 2019, Alexander Rueß was awarded the Lübeck Jazz Prize. After graduating from high school, he first studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden and two years later moved to the Jazz Institute Berlin. He was a member of the LJJO Hamburg and LJJO Schleswig-Holstein.


Olaf Casimir, born in 1969, began playing the double bass at the age of 11. He dropped out of school at 16 and has worked as a musician ever since. After a stay in New York City from 1989 to 90, he returned to Germany and played with various jazz formations. So far in his career, he has played bass on more than 100 albums of various genres.