From June 30th to July 4th 2010 JazzBaltica celebrates its 20th anniversary in Kiel, Husum and Salzau. This summer’s motto is »With friends«! Longtime musical companions will be paying a visit to the festival and will be bringing along plenty of exciting projects. But the audience can also look forward to new faces – surprises are as usual on the program. The full program will be released on Friday, 23rd April 2010. The advance booking commences on Monday, 3rd May 2010 (Fon: + 49 (0)431-570 470).

In this anniversary year there are even two »Artists in Residence«: Nils Landgren and Michael Wollny – two artists who influenced JazzBaltica’s history beyond comparison. At the same time both musicians represent today’s and tomorrow’s jazz. At JazzBaltica 2010 they will perform both together and alone and will capture the audience’s interest with new astonishing ideas.

Nils Landgren, in the 19 years that he has been the festival’s guest, has written history with JazzBaltica with his Funk Unit, as a moving ballad-singer, or in unforgettable projects with Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Esbjörn Svensson or Wolfgang Haffner. This was the starting point for his world career. The focus of his visit will be a special premiere: On Friday night’s Dance Night the Nils Landgren Funk Unit will perform together with the NDR Bigband and while listening to this BIG FUNK the audience will be swept off its feet. In 1994 the Nils Landgren Funk Unit’s career started off with a haunting concert in Salzau’s concert barn. In 2000 the Funk Unit was the absolute highlight of the festival’s 10th anniversary with an abundance of international guests. Funk Unit’s Groove and the NDR Bigband-sound will come together on Friday night’s concert for the first time – this should not be missed! Nils Landgren: »We’re looking forward to rocking Salzau!«

Michael Wollny, pianist and composer, can be called an exceptional talent in the German and European Jazz scene without any exaggeration. After just a few years of performing, professionals and the audience celebrated him as the new piano-star. In Salzau he will for the first time open up his »chamber of wonders« – which is the title of his new CD – in a series of concerts.

»I’m very happy that this year Nils Landgren and Michael Wollny are coming to Salzau as ‘Artists in Residence’. The two are linked so closely to the history and development of JazzBaltica that their presence is a must in our anniversary year«, as Director Rainer Haarmann states. »But the two are also trendsetters for today’s jazz and will attract attention with their new projects. So they will not only continue the festival’s history, but without doubt will initiate an important impulse in the jazz scene again.«

In JazzBaltica’s anniversary year there will be numerous further reunions with long-standing companions of the festival. Many musicians started their international career in Salzau and will come back to their musical place of origin in 2010. In addition, newcomers will be presented on stage again. Year after year they keep JazzBaltica so lively and innovative. »You can rightly call the festival a jazz lab. This is where creativity boils over, and what emerges is extremely fruit-bearing, new in sound and groundbreaking in the field of jazz«, says Rainer Haarmann.

So, the JazzBaltica Ensemble, from the beginning inherent part of the festival and an experimental fusion of young musicians, forms an anniversary ensemble this year. Under the direction of Martin Wind it will perform with surprising guests. Martin Wind, bassist, who is much in demand at international level and ongoing guest at JazzBaltica, is composing for the ensemble for the first time. Amongst others, this year’s ‘Artist in Residence’ Michael Wollny is performing on the piano with the ensemble.