Ambassador
Niels Klein, Ansgar Striepens, and Jiggs Whigham have each played a pivotal role in shaping the Bundesjazzorchester during different stages of its history. Their passion, skill, and vision have inspired generations of young musicians and left a lasting mark on the ensemble. Even after their tenure as artistic directors, they remain closely connected to Bujazzo as ambassadors, continuing to support, guide, and inspire the ensemble on its artistic journey.
Prof Niels Klein
Niels Klein (*1978 in Hamburg) studied saxophone and composition/arrangement at the Cologne University of Music and Dance from 1998 to 2002. Since then, he has performed with musicians such as Vince Mendoza, Peter Erskine, Jim Black, Gary Husband, Jeff Hamilton, Albert Mangelsdorff, Bob Brookmeyer, Nils Wogram, Frank Wingold, Florian Ross, Pablo Held, Robert Landfermann, Jonas Burgwinkel and many others and has appeared at numerous national and international festivals. In 2016, he was appointed professor of jazz saxophone at the Cologne University of Music and Dance. Prior to this, he was Professor of Jazz Composition and Theory at the Institute of Music at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences from 2009 to 2016. Niels Klein led the Bundesjazzorchester from 2012 to 2025.
Prof Ansgar Striepens
Ansgar Striepens has earned an outstanding reputation far beyond Germany as a bandleader, sideman, composer, arranger, conductor, and educator in the field of European jazz, rooted in both Afro-American and European musical traditions. Under his own name, he has released two big band albums and a quintet recording, was a member of Bob Brookmeyer’s “New Art Orchestra,” and has worked as an arranger and conductor on numerous, in some cases award-winning, productions for the renowned WDR Big Band. Striepens teaches jazz trombone, ensemble playing, and big band conducting as a professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and has led the Youth Jazz Orchestra of Saxony-Anhalt. From 2020 to 2024, he served as the artistic director of the Bundesjazzorchester.
Prof Jiggs Whigham
Jiggs Whigham was solo trombonist in Stan Kenton's legendary big band. As professor and head of the jazz department at the Cologne University of Music, he did pioneering work from 1979 onwards. From 1995 to 2000, he was conductor and artistic director of the RIAS Big Band Berlin and launched various band projects with colleagues such as Albert Mangelsdorff and Peter Herbolzheimer. Jiggs Whigham is currently active worldwide as a soloist and guest professor. He was conductor of the BBC Big Band in England and is artistic director of the Berlin Jazz Orchestra and musical director of the Brandenburg State Youth Jazz Orchestra. Together with Niels Klein, he led the ensemble from 2012 to 2020