Claudia Döffinger "Torso Ventuno"

Description

Whoever conducts a big band needs far more than musical skill. Whoever brings together an ensemble of 21 musicians from four different countries needs a vision, leadership strength, and the courage to think big. This is exactly what the German pianist, composer, and arranger Claudia Döffinger stands for, who with her international large ensemble TORSO VENTUNO has created one of the most exciting orchestras in the young European jazz scene. The dimension of this project alone is impressive. Musicians from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands travel specifically to Muri to stand together on stage for a single concert evening. What represents an extraordinary organizational challenge for an organizer is for Claudia Döffinger an expression of her musical conviction: Jazz lives from personal exchange, from the shared sound, and from the power of the most diverse musical personalities. The renowned jazz magazine All About Jazz wrote about her: "She is a musical force with scary potential." Indeed, Claudia Döffinger is today one of the most sought-after composers and arrangers in Europe. Her works are played by renowned orchestras such as the hr-Bigband, the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, the Subway Jazz Orchestra, the Jazzkombinat Hamburg, or the Big Band Zug. She achieves something special: she combines the sonic power of a classical big band with the openness of modern improvisation, rhythmic sophistication, and a surprising lightness. Her path led her through two of the most important jazz universities in Europe. After her master's degree in jazz piano and music education at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, she completed a second master's degree in jazz composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. Already during her studies, it became clear that her greatest passion is orchestral writing. Not the piano alone should determine her musical language, but the fascinating sound of a large ensemble. With TORSO VENTUNO, she finally fulfilled a long-cherished dream. The ensemble consists of musicians she has met on her musical path over the past fifteen years. From these encounters, no anonymous project orchestra emerged, but an ensemble of personalities who inspire each other and whose individual voices merge into a common sound. The debut album of TORSO VENTUNO was released in 2025 and impressively shows how contemporary big band jazz can sound today. Powerful brass sections meet delicate tonal colors, surprising harmonic turns meet captivating grooves, large orchestral arcs meet intimate musical moments. Time and again, space for improvisation arises without losing the compositional signature. This very tension makes Claudia Döffinger's music so fascinating. Numerous international awards prove that she is one of the most important arrangers of her generation. She won the Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest, was nominated for the German Jazz Award in the Best Arrangement category, and received, among others, the Harald Kaufmann Prize, the DownBeat Student Music Award in the USA, as well as invitations to renowned workshops with arranger legend Vince Mendoza and Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway. In addition, she taught jazz composition and arrangement at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts as well as at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. For the guest performance in Muri, Claudia Döffinger brings not only her international large ensemble but also the Australian singer Kristin Berardi, who adds an additional emotional dimension to the orchestral sound with her warm, expressive voice. Together, a concert experience is created that goes far beyond classical big band jazz. In the anniversary year of Musig im Pflegidach, dedicated to the most important female bandleaders of our time, TORSO VENTUNO forms a very special highlight. Not only because of the extraordinary musical quality but also because of the impressive dimension of this project. It is rare that 21 musicians make their way for a single concert evening – even rarer that a sound emerges that is at the same time precise, powerful, surprising, and deeply touching. This concert promises no ordinary big band evening. It is the encounter with a composer who rethinks orchestral jazz in Europe and with an ensemble that impressively shows how inspiring collaboration across national borders can be. A major musical project – and one of the most extraordinary concert evenings of the anniversary season.

Highlights

• International jazz orchestra with 21 musicians
• Unique concert evening in Muri
• Conducted by the sought-after composer Claudia Döffinger

General Information

Claudia Döffinger presents an extraordinary jazz concert with her orchestra TORSO VENTUNO at Pflegi Muri. Musicians from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands unite for an evening to celebrate the diversity and power of jazz.

Location

Nordklosterrain 1, 5630 Muri AG, Switzerland

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