Two international ensembles present contemporary jazz with a distinctive sound: the British-Catalan-German trio Shankland/Torrents/Seemann and the award-winning Irina's Quartet.

Shankland/Torrents/Seemann combines improvisational freedom with lyrical clarity. The sound unites European jazz aesthetics with global influences—modern, open, and personal. Ben Shankland (Edinburgh) is a pianist, composer, and BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year. Aniol Torrents (Catalonia) developed a groove-oriented bass style between jazz, improvised music, and electronic sounds. Finn Seemann (Berlin) studies at the Jazz Institute Berlin and has led his own quintet since 2022.

Irina's Quartet works with original compositions that blend genres: power ballad meets blues, modern jazz meets Latin, funk in a jazz setting. The ensemble presents catchy riffs and complex, intuitive melodies with lively improvisation and intense interaction. Irina's Quartet is the 2025 prize winner of the Jazz@undesigned competition of the Werner Richard Dr. Carl Dörken Foundation.

Program:

Shankland/Torrents/Seemann

Irina's Quartet

Lineup Shankland/Torrents/Seemann:

Ben Shankland – Piano

Aniol Torrents – Bass

Finn Seemann – Drums

Lineup Irina's Quartet:

Irina Alekseeva – Guitar

Nicholas von der Nahmer – Keyboards

Jonas Heck – Drums

Emil Buchholtz – Electric Bass