List of docents is currently not complete (all instruments are welcome in the workshop and will be teached!)
Availability of docents depends on number of workshop participants (4 participants per docent are needed), but all instruments will be taught by the docents which are available per workshop even if less than 4 participants have booked one instrument/vocal class.
Kristine Cirule (vocals, piano, composer)
Kristine is a fabulous young talent in Jazz singing and especially in Jazz improvisations. She interprets songs in her own fantastic way. Music examples of Kristine’s singing and of her great capabilities for improvisation, see BaltosFavorite on jazzcats. Kristīne Liede started music while being very young. From classical piano to jazz vocals and composing- through this journey Kristīne has found inspiration to include music in her life every day. Parents – a composer and a pianist, made sure that music would always be around. Kristīne studied classical piano at Emīla Dārziņa music high school, after deciding to follow her dream of singing jazz in Riga Cathedral choir school. Higher education in music she obtained in Helsinki Sibelius academy and now continues her Master studies in Amsterdam Conservatory. Alongside studies, masterclasses and competitions performing live always has played the main role in Kristīnes life and the most cherished projects in recent years are: SHE’ART akapella quartet, LIEDE/BOHN DUO with double bass player Michael Bohn (Germany), DREAM TELLER singer/songwriter ensemble. Since Kristīne returned to Latvia she has gained pedagogical experience working with children in Montesori school and kindergarten and teaching ear training to high school students in Riga Cathedral choir school.Kristīnes aim is – to meet with motivated music enthusiasts and find a common language to discover secrets that music wants to tell us. 🙂 (see: Kristine Cirule on Instagram).
Henrique Gomide (piano, percussion, arranger, composer)
Born in São Paulo in 1988, Henrique Gomide has a broad musical background. After graduating in Classical Piano at ULM and Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Gomide was granted a scholarship by the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Netherlands) to pursue an MA in Jazz Piano, completing his degree in 2014. Currently residing in Cologne (Germany), he obtained a second master’s degree in Jazz Composition and Arrangement from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln in 2018, with a specialisation in Big Band Arranging. Since September 2023 Henrique is Professor for piano (Jazz/pop) at the ArtEZ University of Arts in Arnheim (Netherlands). Throughout his education, Gomide studied jazz piano with Geri Allen, Juraj Stanik, Michele Rosewoman, Oscar Perez, and classical piano with Hermes Jacchieri, José Eduardo Martins, Paulo Álvares and David Witten, among others. (see homepage Henrique Gomide).
With his piano-trio Caixa Cubo, which originated in São Paulo, he released 6 CD’s and performed in hundreds of concerts in Brazil, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, England and Mozambique. Alongside his partner, Daphne Oltheten, Gomide forms the Duo Oltheten-Gomide, which recorded two CD’s with works by Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms and contemporary Brazilian composers. He also takes part in other projects as a pianist, such as Nau Trio, Ayça Miraç Quartet and Juliana da Silva Band which are all active around Germany. As an arranger, Gomide leads the Henrique Gomide Big Band and has delivered arrangements for bands like Subway Jazz Orchestra (Köln), Banda Urbana (São Paulo), Big Band of the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Netherlands) and Big Band of the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln (Germany).
During his graduate studies, Gomide developed a thesis on Brazilian composer and string instrument virtuoso Aníbal Augusto Sardinha, also known as Garoto (1915-1955). Since then, he has engaged in several projects aimed at disseminating Garoto’s music around the world. He is one of the authors of the Songbook Choros de Garoto (IMS – SESC Editions), which includes 67 compositions by Garoto and the musical director of the documentary ‘Garoto – Vivo Sonhando“ (TC Filmes, Lente Viva), which will be premiered in September 2020. In 2016, Henrique worked as musical director for the tribute show Garoto 100 Anos, held at Sesc Pinheiros (Sao Paulo, Brazil). It brought together major Brazilian musicians such as Guinga, Yamandu Costa and Paulo Bellinati.
Throughout his career, Henrique played and recorded with renowned musicians, including Bart van Lier, Tony Lakatos, Nailor Proveta, Teco Cardoso, Vinicius Dorin, Paulo Bellinati, Toninho Carrasqueira, Monica Salmaso, Celio Barros, Marku Ribas, Gabi Guedes, John Ruocco and Andrea di Biase, among others.
Thomas Heck (saxophones: tenor, alto, soprano, baritone; flute; brass instruments: trombone; vocals)
Thomas Heck is professional German jazz musician and part of several European Jazz ensembles as sax and/or flute player and/or as vocalist. He as well teaches saxophone and flute, is co-leader of the Bonn Youth Orchestra Bigband and of his own Combo in Bonn, Germany. See Thomas and his BigBand at Pantheon Theatre, Bonn in 2018: Jugend Jazz Orchester Bonn and see Thomas and his Combo at Hofgarten Concerts in Bonn: Thomas Heck and friends & Hofgarten concerts, Bonn
Marcus Rieck (drums, composer, arranger)
Marcus Rieck, born in 1977 in Mayen, studied Jazz at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with Prof. Keith Copeland from 1997 to 2004. (2002: Diploma as a musician, artistic main subject drums; 2004 Diploma as a music teacher, artistic main subject drums).
In the first ten years of his career, he mainly played jazz in groups like the Benjamin Schaefer Trio: three albums on Enja, gave concerts for the Goethe Institute in Arcachon, Nancy and Paris, received the audience award at the 16th Tremplin Jazz Europeen 2007 in Avignon and won the “JazzIN” competition 2007 of the LAG Jazz Niedersachsen.
With the “Marc Brenken – Christian Kappe Quartett” he performed for the Goethe Institute at the Jazz Festival in Iasi 2008 and won the Jazzpreis Ruhr 2011.
Since 2016 Marcus Rieck is a drummer in the “Ayça Miraç Quartet”, with which he won the Creole NRW competition in 2019.
Marcus Rieck is also a drummer in the “Steve Klink Trio”, “François de Ribaupierre Trio”, the Ulla Oster Quartet “Four & More” and the Jazz Ensemble of the Cologne Children’s Opera. From 2010 to 2019 Marcus Rieck was a drummer in the rock group “Klaus Major Heuser Band”.
In 2020, Marcus Rieck began composing and recording beats and creative exercises for drum set. A collection of the compositions was published in his book “Drum Book 44” in 2022 (see Marcus Rieck on Instagram). Marcus Rieck has worked with musicians and ensembles such as Gerd Dudek, Essen Jazz Orchestra, Hubert Nuss, Andy Haderer, Martin Harley, Axel Manrico Heilhecker, Tobias Hoffmann, Dave Horler, Wolf Maahn, Ekki Maas (Erdmöbel), Klaus Osterloh, Matthew Robb, Thomas Rückert, Martin Sasse, Norbert Scholly, Matthias Schriefl, Markus Tiedemann (SUNDOG), Matthias Schwengler Sextett and many others.
Daniel Edelberg (tenor saxophone, guitar)
Daniel Edelberg plays saxophone and guitar. Daniel started playing classical guitar during his school days and later studied classical guitar at the Folkwang University of Music and Dance in Essen. At the same time, he also became involved in various jazz projects as a guitarist and saxophonist in Essen and throughout North Rhine-Westphalia for many years now.
Lea Stefani (piano, cello)
Lea Stefani is a pianist, cellist and double bass player. Lea has been playing the piano since childhood. She played the cello already during her school days. After graduating from high school, Lea studied classical cello at the Folkwang University for Music and Dance in Essen and later also jazz with the subjects double bass and piano at the Jazz Department of the University of Osnabrück. Lea is currently working as cellist on classical projects at the Cologne and Essen Philharmonic. For some years she has also been involved in jazz projects as pianist in the Essen area and throughout NRW.
Klaus Desch (piano, composer and arranger)
Klaus has been playing the piano since he was six. He had lessons from Eleonore Schoneweg, Else Renner and Justin Oprean.
In addition to classical solo play and his play of chamber music he also is an important part of the Jazz scene in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with a focus on Swing and Classic Jazz (e.g., member of Engelbert Wrobel’s Swing Society for several years). His way of accompanying saxophone players and other jazz soloists as well as his expression as Jazz piano soloist is phantastic and unique. Even if he has decided on a career in research and teaching (he is a professor of experimental physics at Bonn University), music is his second but comparable important profession and passion.
Bernd and Klaus met in many different combos over the last 35 years and they developed a great way of interacting and interplay in Swing Jazz. Last but not least it should be mentioned that Klaus is also active as composer an arranger of Jazz tunes (see: Klaus Desch Solo Album).
Nicola Lombardi (piano, saxophone)
Nicole Lombardi is an experienced piano player in classic music as well as in jazz music. He studied piano in Conservatorio G.B. Martini Bologna and is now an active musician playing in many combos and he is closely connected with jazz activities at Conservatorio Pollini di Padova.
Sandro Gibellini (guitar)
After the first experiences related to rock and blues he devoted himself mainly to jazz. He attended Nino Donzelli’s Centro Studi Musicali in Cremona in 1979 and in the same year he began his first jazz experiences: participation in Gianni Cazzola’s quintet and collaboration with Pietro Tonolo. From 1980 onwards he plays with many Italian musicians (Gianni Basso, Massimo Urbani, Luigi Bonafede, Larry Nocella and others). In 1983 he is at the Zagreb festival with Francesca Oliveri, and since the same year he plays with many American musicians passing through Italy: among others we mention Lee Konitz, Mel Lewis, Al Gray, Dave Schnitter, Sal Nistico, Steve Grossmann, Lew Tabackin and Jimmy Owens. With the latter he participates in the festival of Pori (Finland). From 84 to 91 he was part of the big band of the RAI in Milan, alongside jazz musicians such as Gianluigi Trovesi, Sergio Fanni, Leandro Prete and others. In 1986 he played in France with Dado Moroni, Jimmy Woodie and Alvin Queen. He then enters the Tullio De Piscopo quartet with whom he participates in the jazz festivals of Sanremo and Rome (Woody Show host) and in Umbria Jazz. In 1987 he participated in the jazz festival of Amiens (F) in the EBU big band. Between ’88 and ’89 he plays with the “Reunion” quintet including Franco Testa, Pietro Tonolo, Danilo Rea and Roberto Gatto (the group will record a CD; “Flight Charts and Planes”). In 90 he joined the “Keptorchestra”, as informal as it was prestigious big band led by Pietro and Marcello Tonolo, including some of the most beautiful names in Italian jazz such as Marco Tamburini, Roberto Rossi, Mauro Negri, Bruno Marini and many others. He is part, in 91, of the Great National Jazz Orchestra. In 92 he forms a trio with Mauro Negri and Paolo Birro with whom he records the CD “Funny Men”. The first CD under his own name is “Felix”, recorded in 90 but published only in 93, with Piero Leveratto and Alfred Kramer. In 95 he played with Gerry Mulligan and in 96 he released “La Banda Disegnata” with its own septet. In January 97 he was invited to the “Midem” in Cannes to represent Italy in a meeting of the best European guitarists. In 1997 he recorded “Summertime In Sanremo” with Larry Schneider, Andrea Dulbecco, Dodo Goya and John Arnold. In 98 “The Tender Trap” was released, with Mauro Negri and Paolo Birro and in 99 “You And The Night And The Music” was released with Ares Tavolazzi and Mauro Beggio. Since 1999 he has collaborated with Barbara Casini in a project dedicated to Jobim. With Casini and Lee Konitz he records a CD for Philology. He is in the United States in March 2000, he plays in New York and Durham in the North Carolina International Jazz Festival. In December of the same year he was invited, together with the trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso, to the international jazz festival of Havana (Cuba), where he plays with Kenny Barron, Ronnie Cuber, Giovanni Hidalgo, Chucho Valdez and Irakere. For more information see: Sandro Gibellini original home page.
Bernd J. Kröger (double bass, e-bass fretted and fretless, Member of Jazz Education Network JEN)
Bernd is an experienced double bass player, who did a reasonable music career in the early 80s. In these times he played together with great Jazz musicians like Silvia Droste, Cliff Wren, Romy Cameron, Ralf Peyer, Sean Moyses, … In most times he worked as a freelancer in order to be able to study physics, phonetics, linguistics and musicology in parallel. He is currently working at RWTH Aachen University (see: www.speechtrainer.eu). His research interests include music and language, as well as neural processing mechanisms of speech and improvised music in the brain. Bernd is currently working with young musicians from the JazzDepartment of Maastricht and Amsterdam Universities, Netherlands (see videos of the BaltosFavorite on jazzcats), as well as with graduates from Folkwang Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, Essen, Germany (and see infos concerning the trio Stefani-Edelberg-Kröger on jazzcats).