Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra

The Pharos Arts Foundation and the Goethe Institut Cyprus present a concert with the impressive State of Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra, on Saturday 30 June, at The Olive Grove in Delikipos / 8:30pm. A concert not to be missed with one of Europe’s leading jazz bands in Cyprus’ most impressive open-air venue.

As part of the Pharos Arts Foundation’s Music Education Programme, the Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra will also offer workshops for young Cypriot instrumentalists on 28 and 29 June at The Shoe Factory in Nicosia. All instruments represented by the Orchestra (saxophone, trombone, trumpet, drums, bass, percussion, guitar, piano and voice) are welcome for the workshops and jam sessions, but many more instruments can participate. Please contact the Pharos Arts Foundation for more information.

The State of Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra was founded in 1985 by Wolfgang Diefenbach with the goal of enabling talented young musicians to receive professional big band training at the highest level. Numerous young jazz musicians in Hessen had been waiting for such a chance and applied to join the newly-founded band. The project was ultimately made possible by the former Hessian Minister of Finance, who put the necessary funding at the band's disposal.

The concept is based on three main pillars: workshop sessions with well-known jazz celebrities as instructors; outstanding stage appearances; and professional (studio) recordings.

The Orchestra plays in the traditional big band formation, with a brass section consisting of five trumpets, four trombones and five saxophones and a percussion group of four or five musicians. In addition to mainstream standard hits from Duke Ellington to Count Basie, the ensemble performs music which has been composed or arranged exclusively for the Orchestra.

After their first workshop session over 20 years ago, the Band had already reached a remarkable level, making it a renowned player in the world of jazz. Nowadays, the State of Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra is recognized as one of Europe's most important youth jazz orchestras. It has been the stepping-stone to a musical career for more than 400 young musicians, and embarked on numerous successful tours all over the world – East Africa, Hungary, Australia, Romania, South-East Asia, South America, Poland, Canada, Russia and Japan.

The absolute highlight of the Orchestra’s concerts were its appearances at the Sydney Domain Park Jazz Festival and at the Montsalvat Festival in Melbourne, which electrified Nat Adderly so much that he played a spontaneous solo with the Band.

The Orchestra’s first CD Kicks and Sticks won the German Record Critics' Award. Today, the Hessen Youth Jazz Big Band Orchestra is an important part of the German cultural landscape and has proved its value as a figurehead to the German state of Hessen. Since 1990, the Orchestra has been sponsored by the Hessen Ministry for Science and Art.

Tickets: Adults: €25 / Supporters of the Pharos Arts Foundation, Concessions: €20 / Free entrance for workshop participants

Box Office: Tel: 7000 9304 / www.pharostickets.org