Concert tours
As a cultural ambassador, the Bundesjazzorchester, Germany’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra, has a long history of bridge-building and strengthening friendships by leaving a musical calling card: “Jazz made in Germany”. A list of the orchestra’s trips abroad since 2013 can be found below.
Montenegro, Albania & Bosnia and Herzegovina 2019
From October 2nd - 15th 2019, the Bundesjazzorchester was invited by the German Embassies in Podgorica, Tirana, and Sarajevo, the Goethe Institute in Sarajevo, and the German House of Montenegro to a concert and cultural exchange tour of Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Alongside the concerts, the tour also featured a number of workshops and masterclasses. The initial basis for the tour was an invitation from the German Embassy in Montenegro to perform for German Unity Day on October 3rd, 2019, as well as part of the celebrations surrounding the 3rd German Day in Podgorica/Montenegro from October 9th - 11th 2019.
Israel & US 2019
Thanks to support from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community and the Federal Foreign Office, the Bundesjazzorchester joined with students from the Center for Jazz Studies at the Israel Conservatory of Music Tel Aviv to form a mixed German-Israeli big band with vocal ensemble and presented the silent film programme “Klingende Utopien – 100 Jahre Bauhaus” (“Sound Utopias – 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus Art Movement”). The tour included concerts in Tel Aviv, Berlin, New York, Rochester, and Chicago.
England 2019
From April 3rd to 8th 2019, the Bundesjazzorchester came together with its Dutch colleagues from the Nationaal Jeugd Jazz Orkest (NJJO, the Netherlands) and the British musicians from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO, United Kingdom) to continue the successful big band project THREE NATIONS UNDER ONE GROOVE.
US & Canada 2018
Thanks to support from the Federal Foreign Office, the Bundesjazzorchester was on tour in the USA and Canada with the Bauhaus Project “Sound Utopias” from June 22nd until July 3rd.
Ecuador 2017
By invitation from “kultura,” the German cultural network, the Bundesjazzorchester was on tour from May 8th – 23rd in Ecuador. At the centre of the tour were the dual celebrations “100th Anniversary Colegio Alemán Quito” and “60th Anniversary Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano-Alemán Guayaquil”. This was the orchestra’s second visit to South America, having already been there in 2014.
→ Tour Ecuador 2017
England 2017
From March 26th to April 2nd 2017, the Bundesjazzorchester came together with its Dutch colleagues from the Nationaal Jeugd Jazz Orkest (NJJO, the Netherlands) and the British musicians from the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO, United Kingdom) to continue the successful big band project THREE NATIONS UNDER ONE GROOVE.
India 2016
From December 12th to 22nd, the Bundesjazzorchester travelled to Goa, on the west coast of India, in order to rehearse and perform together with Indian musicians. At the centre of the tour was the Paschim Rang Festival, a western music festival organised by the Kala Academy running from December 17th – 20th.
Russia 2015
By invitation from the Chelyabinsk State Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bundesjazzorchester visited the southern Ural Mountain region for the first time from June 8th to 17th.
Ecuador 2014
For the first time since its founding in 1988, the Bundesjazzorchester visited South America from September 29th to October 15th, 2014, by invitation from “kultura – Red Cultural Alemana”, the German cultural network.
Westafrika 2013
On May 9th 2013, the Bundesjazzorchester set off on their first tour of West Africa. The ensemble, directed by Mike Herting, travelled throughout Senegal and Guinea-Bissau until June 1st, meeting with African musicians to rehearse and perform together. The tour started with a ten-day workshop in Saint Louis, followed by a performance at Africa’s largest jazz festival.
All concert tours since 1988
2019
England (Bury St Edmunds, London, Corby)
Israel (Tel Aviv)
USA (New York, Rochester, Chicago)
Montenegro (Podgorica, Herceg Novi)
Albanien (Shkodra)
Bosnien und Herzegowina (Sarajevo)
2018
USA (Rochester)
Kanada (Toronto, Ottawa)
Niederlande (Rotterdam, Amsterdam)
2017
Indien (Neu-Delhi)
Ecuador (Guayaquil, Cuenca, Tena, Quito)
England (Nottingham, London, Gateshead)
2016
Niederlande (Amsterdam)
Indien (Goa)
2015
Italien (Montepulciano, Rom)
Russland (Tscheljabinsk, Miass, Dolgoderevenskoe)
2014
Ecuador (Quito, Cuenca, Guayaquil)
England (Leeds, London)
2013
Senegal (Saint-Louis, Dakar, Kaolack, Ziguinchor)
Guinea-Bissau (Bissau)
Litauen (Vilnius)
Kroatien (Grožnjan)
2011
Indien (Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad)
USA (Port Townsend, Seattle, Portland Oregon, Los Angeles, Santa Fé)
2009
Slowakei (Bratislava)
Südafrika mit dem Bundesjugendorchester (Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elisabeth, Kapstadt)
2008
Bosnien und Herzegowina (Banja Luka)
Bulgarien (Sofia)
Rumänien (Bukarest)
2006
Ukraine (Winnyzja, Kiew, Odessa)
2005
Bulgarien (Sofia)
Albanien (Tirana)
Rumänien (Bukarest)
2004
Namibia (Windhoek)
Südafrika (Kapstadt, East-London, Durban, Pretoria, Benoni, Soweto, Johannesburg)
Polen (Plock, Warschau)
2002
Russland (Moskau)
1999
Österreich (Velden, Klagenfurt)
Kroatien (Zagreb)
Ungarn (Budapest)
Türkei (Troia, Canakkale, Izmir)
Rumänien (Cluj, Sibiu, Timisoara)
Tschechien (Prag)
1997
Südafrika (Maseru, East-London, Durban, Kapstadt, Pretoria, Johannesburg)
1996
Niederlande (Amsterdam)
1995
Rumänien und Moldavien (Galati, Chisinau, Iasi, Bukarest, Cluj, Sibiu, Temeshvar)
1994
USA (Dover/Durham, Boston)
1993
Russland (Kaliningrad)
Litauen (Klaipeda, Wilnius)
Lettland (Riga, Tallinn)
1992
Spanien (Sevilla, Barcelona)
1991
Portugal (Porto, Coimbra, Lissabon)
1989
USA (Port Townsend, Tacoma, Seattle)
1988
USA (Washington, Baltimore)