Hans Lüdemann, born 1961 in Hamburg, 1978/79 in Los Angeles/California, since 1982 in Köln, 2009/10 and 2015/16 in Philadelphia/USA. Private studies with Joachim Kühn, Studies of Classical piano at the Hamburg conservatory and Jazz piano at the Musikhochschule Köln and the Banff Centre/Canada. In Köln he obtained the first Jazz masters degree in Germany. Hans Lüdemann`s international career started in 1985 in the group of Eberhard Weber/Jan Garbarek with a tour of Asia. He worked with a number of world class musicians, among them Muhal Richard Abrams, Paul Bley (Duo CD), Hayden Chisholm, Chiwoniso, Toumani Diabate, Tata Dindin, Marc Ducret, Mark Feldman, Sol Gabetta, Dobet Gnahoré, Roger Hanschel, Lee Konitz, Joachim Kühn, Albert Mangelsdorff, Phil Minton, Angelika Niescier, Yves Robert, Heinz Sauer, Gebhard Ullmann, Bobby Zankel and Eda Zari.

Hans Lüdemann is a „wanderer between the worlds“ who has created first rate European ensembles with the trio ROOMS and the octet TransEuropeExpress (T.E.E.) and who makes transcultural connections between Africa, Europe and Jazz together with balaphon player Aly Keita in the Trio Ivoire. As a solo pianist he improvised an „hommage a Köln concert“ in the Köln opera, he expands the acoustic piano sound with his „virtual piano“ into a microtonal instrument and he developed new playing techniques for the historic clavichord. In the concert series „die kunst des trios“, started in 2007, Lüdemann has created a wide range of piano trio conceptions, working together with an international cast of musical partners.
As a solo pianist and with his ensembles, Lüdemann has performed worldwide and is at home on festivals, concert stages and in clubs between Berlin, Bamako, Capetown, Delhi, Havana, Hongkong, New York and Paris. Performances include portrait concerts at the Musiktriennale Köln, appearances at EXPO 2000 Hannover, Jazzfest Berlin, Bachfest Leipzig, Offbeat Festival Basel, HIFA - Festival Harare, Copenhagen Jazzfestival, Elbjazz Hamburg and the opening of the „Budapest Music Centre“. Solo tours have led through Europe, Africa and North America. Lüdemann’s music is documented on over 40 CDs for renowned record labels and radio and tv productions. His biggest project so far, „die kunst des trios“, was released as a 5-CD-box and received the „ECHO Jazz award 2013“.

From the beginning, the creation and realization of original music was the motivation and focus of his work and his projects. In 1988 he introduced his first orchestral work, „Geschichte 2“, in 1994 the song cycle „Verloren ins weite Blau“ (Lost into the wide blue) for voices and chamber ensembles. Hans Lüdemann received composition commissions of the WDR, SWR, hR, the Ensemble Indigo, the NDR bigband, the duo Slaato/Reinecke, from Steinway & Sons and the „Kunststiftung NRW“. In 2014/15 he received the federal composition grant of the „Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung“. His works range from solo music and songs to chamber music and music for bigband, choir and orchestra. A number of his musical scores have been published by Schott, including the „Rhythmic Etudes“ for piano in 2015.

In 2002, Lüdemann was invited on a journey to Africa with German President Johannes Rau. He was appointed member of the Federal German composition jury for the Villa Massimo in Rome from 2003 - 2007. He taught Jazz piano and ensemble at the Musikhochschule Köln from 1993 - 2008, directed the „Creative Jazz Workshop“ at the European Academy Montepulciano/Italy 2001 - 2007, the „JeuneJazzJam Paris-Köln“ of the Musikhochschule Köln and CSNDP Paris in 2008 and taught as „Cornell Visiting Professor“ at Swarthmore College/USA in 2009/2010 and again in 2015/16. Hans Lüdemann lives as a musician and composer in Hoffnungsthal near Köln, Germany.

"A very special talent" Sheila Jordan"She breathes music". Koen Scherer/ Draai om je oren"Tander is an enrichment for the Dutch jazz vocal scene...she is on a level where everything is possible musically" Rinus v.d. Heijden/Jazzenzo„Music is an almost sacred space in which I can be Me“, she says. Young German Afghan vocalist Simin Tander can tell stories even without words, trusting her music to do the speaking, with her voice as an universal instrument. Improvisation is important to her. Also impulsiveness and spontaneity. Her own compositions breathe depth, intensity, improvisation, sophistication and astonish one with their changing moods and language. „Something embracing“, as Simin puts it, is a mark they all bear. Jazz-icon Sheila Jordan is so impressed by Simin´s voice that she has taken her into training. „It was a very special encounter“, says Jordan. Simin Tander studied at the ARTEZ conservatoire in the Netherlands, at which she completed her jazz-singing Bachelor and Master of Music with distinction. Through many performances in diverse projects she has made herself a name in the Dutch jazz scene. In the past years she has performed at many festivals, notably at the „North Sea Jazz Festival“ (in 2004 with I Compani and in 2009 with her own quartet), the „Women in Jazz Festival Halle“, the international jazz congress Jazzahead and has been collaborating with well-known musicians like Frans Vermeerssen, Harmen Fraanje, Florian Weber and Eric Vloeimans. In Holland she has achieved several enthusiastic critics and awardings, like the "Young VIP Tour 2010"- a tour through 12 important Dutch Jazz venues, the first price of the "Vlaardingen Jazz Concours", the third price of the "Dutch Vocal Jazz Competition" , the "Jazzimpuls Tour 2011" which consits of 12 concerts through Holland's theatres. In addition to that Simin has already performed at foreign stages, like Catania Jazz Festival/ Sicily, Casa Del Jazz/ Rome, Bohemia Jazz Fest/ Czech Republic.
German thriller fans might know Simin's touching voice from the soundtracks of the cult thriller "Tatort" or two episodes of "Der Kriminalist" (ZDF).
Her debut CD has been recorded lately and will be released in April of 2011 on the German label Neu Klang.

Tamara Lukasheva was born in Odessa. Since she was a child she was surrounded with the sounds of music, because both of her parents are musicians, sincerely devoted to the music.
From 2003 to2007 Tamara was studying at the Musical College in Odessa (Jazz Vocal and Jazz piano class). In spring of 2008 on the International Contest of Young Jazz Bands, Tamara won the ''Special Price" for the best vocal performance'. From this moment her career began. In 2009 she founded, together with remarkable jazz pianist Roksana Smirnova, the duo ''Horizon'' and toured Ukrainia and Russia. Another collaboration, with a legendary Jazz pianist U. Kuznetsov lead to creative experiments, which were highly appreciated by the audience in Ukrainia and Bulgaria.
Since October 2010 Tamara lives in Germany and started to study at "Hochschule für Musik und Tanz" in Cologne. Already one month after later the Tamara Lukasheva Quartet has been founded.
From 2012 until 2013 Tamara was member fot the German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzo). She worked with a number of outstanding musicians like Matthias Schriefl, Bodek Janke, Paul Hubweber, and the WDR Big Band.

Christian Thomé (b. 1970) – His previous oeuvre made Christian Thomé work with various musical styles. His projects range from contemporary jazz and freely improvised music to world music, experimental electronic and pop music to classical music. As a sideman, Christian Thomé has worked with the great musicians of the national jazz scene, like Dieter Manderscheid, Markus Stockhausen, John Goldsby, and Till Brönner and many others. In addition, he has worked with big orchestras like the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra or the Philharmonic Orchestra of Trieste. He toured the Middle East with the world-music ensemble Schäl Sick Brass Band for the Goethe Institute and performed on many festivals at home and abroad. He tours with various ensembles, such as Trio Ivoire, Niobe, Trio Stockhausen/Comisso/Thomé, Nanoschlaf, Alony and the Bliss. Thomé is a lecturer of jazz percussion, jazz ensemble and subjectrelated teacher training at the Institute of Music at the University of Osnabrück. In addition, he works as a private and music school teacher.