75 Jahre SWR Big Band

The program features Duke Ellington’s “A Parallel to Harlem” (Harlem Suite), a work that symbolizes the birth of jazz in Harlem and transports the audience back to the smoky atmosphere of New York’s Cotton Club in the 1920s.**
The music of composer Nikolai Kapustin also forms an important focal point of the evening. His incredibly virtuosic works combine the formal precision of classical music with the rhythmic energy of jazz.
Together with conductor Dominik Beykirch, the SWR Symphony Orchestra and the SWR Big Band have already delivered impressive performances of this musical language. The Frank Dupree Trio plays a central role in this, contributing significantly to the power of this program with its energetic interpretations and having already thrilled audiences in joint projects—such as the New Year’s Eve concert.
This fall will also see the release of a complete recording of Nikolai Kapustin’s orchestral works featuring the Frank Dupree Trio, the SWR Big Band, and the SWR Symphony Orchestra.
Another highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of a new suite for big band and symphony orchestra by Thorsten Wollmann.
One could hardly wish for a more suitable arranger, as Wollmann is highly trained in both worlds and thus builds the perfect bridge between jazz and classical music.
A concert evening that demonstrates just how naturally classical and jazz can intertwine—and how music not only transcends boundaries but also enriches them!
**Note: The program was originally planned to include George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”