Soundtrips NRW

The renowned state-wide concert series for improvised music will continue in 2023. Thus, at the beginning of May, the Japanese guitarist and daxophonist Kazuhisa Uchihashi and his compatriot the drummer Akira Sotoyama toured NRW. The Swiss saxophonist and bassoonist Sandra Weiss and the guitarist Beat Keller, also from Switzerland, followed at the beginning of June. At the end of August, the American-Greek, Berlin-based experimental duo of Andrea Parkins and Yorgos Dimitriadis went on tour, and at the end of September, the British vocal and performance artists Viv Corringham and Maggie Nicols started their sound trip through NRW. At the end of November, the French musicians Camille Emaille (percussion) and Nina Garcia (guitar) will start the last Soundtrip of the season through NRW.

"Soundtrips NRW" is characterised by a special event concept that is supported and constantly developed by various partners: Renowned musicians from NRW meet international stars, young talents meet established representatives of improvised music. In the first part of each concert, the mostly international guests play their own programme; in the second, they perform together with professionals from NRW and provide the scene with new impulses. The local hosts are also happy to give guest performances with their colleagues in other cities and thus benefit from additional performance opportunities.

The network is supported by 15 member cities and their concert organisers. These include Aachen, Bielefeld, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen, Cologne, Moers, Münster, Oberhausen and Wuppertal.

With the "Soundtrips", NRW has a unique state-wide network that makes it possible to experience the entire diversity of personal styles, playing styles and sound worlds of improvised music and makes significant contributions to its further development through inspiring musical encounters. The extraordinary series of events has long since developed into a forum for high-quality concerts that is respected beyond the region.