Composers’ Orchestra Berlin: latest CD ‘Holding Pattern’ released in april 2022

My most recent project: since January 2011 I’m the MD for the COB, a large orchestra with strings, horns & rhythm section. The members of the orchestra are not only improvising instrumentalists, but are also the composers. The music written for this band has no exclusion zones, combining elements from all possible styles to create music which is truly Free-Range.
We recorded our first orchestral CD in december 2013: released by Jazzhausmusik (JHM224)

Peace Symphony: Dona Nobis Pacem

The orchestra “grenzenlos” is supported by the cultural society “Musik und Leben“ in Luckau, Germany, affiliated to the music society in Wschowa, Poland since 2007. In 2013 I was commissioned to write a symphony for a project which would bring together young musicians from different countries in a celebration of peace.
The symphony has a classical form, in 4 movements. The choral text of the final movement is complemented by short narratives by the older members of the choir and orchestra, recounting their experiences and memories of the last war.

“Spazieren in Berlin” 2013, CD release march 2014

Author Franz Hessel wrote “Spazieren in Berlin” in 1929. Inspired by his texts, our COB-composers wrote music for a series of radio-plays, which were broadcast in March 2013 by rbb-Kultur radio.

The CD was presented by Buchfunk during the Leipzig Bookfair in March 2014

“Songs from the Edge” CD release april 2012

This is a cycle of 8 songs, written after a series of conversations about psychosis. Everyone I talked to had experienced the devastating effects at first hand- either personally, or with family or friends- but rarely talked about it. These songs are an interpretation, an attempt to express some of the aspects of psychosis from the inside. They can be disturbing- but then so is psychosis.

Das Geheimnis von Schlabendorf 2010

Contemporary music written for the Paradies 2 project, which was organized by the IBA in Germany (Internationale BauaAusstellung). The history of a village, written for, with  and performed by the inhabitants. 8 different ensembles, 5 movements and 80 minutes of music in a wide variety of styles.

Paradies 2 wins BKM-award

United Women’s Orchestra 1992-2009

Founded in 1992, the UWO established itself as one of the few European bigbands playing new music, and as one of the few all-women bigbands in Europe with an original repertoire. Led by me and Christina Fuchs (Cologne, Germany ), the band presented an exclusively original repertoire, composed by the two bandleaders.

“Cirkels in de Tijd” (Circles in Time)

An Australian Aboriginal creation myth was the inspiration for children’s author Pauline van de Ven. Her book “De Ziel van Putter” tells of a small bird which dies and falls out of her tree. When even the South Wind fails to breathe her back to life, the other birds and animals are confronted with the question about what has happened to the bird’s soul. In 2003 I wrote “Cirkels in de Tijd” (Circles in Time) for children’s choir, to accompany the narrator. The eleven songs which make up the cycle are about life and death, the seasons and the cycles of the moon. (Dutch lyrics)