Courses

In my atelier I occasionally organize workshops for string players, who are interested to know more about how an instrument of the violin family is built and how it works. In case you are interested to participate in one of the upcoming courses, please write to me, subscribe for the newsletter here or follow my facebook page.

Klangkörperbau

A workshop for string players about the construction, the sound production and the history of violins, violas and cellos.


The idea behind this course about lutherie for string players is to impart basic knowledge about violin making in a form which is relevant for a musician; how a string instrument is built, how it works and in what way the construction and the set-up determines the sound of an instrument. This will be useful knowledge for every string player and will help to further develop and implement her/his own vision of sound in respect to the instrument.

The workshop will start with a detailed talk and demonstration of the different steps of the construction, from the design of the model and the choice of wood, the shaping of the archings, to the varnish and set up of the finished instrument. We will then look in detail at sound production. I will illustrate in a simple way, how a stringed instrument works, in which way the construction determines the specific sound of an instrument and to what extent it can be modified and adjusted to one's personal need and preference by the sound post, the bridge and the choice of the strings.

Furthermore you will learn about the history of violin making; how it developed in its golden period, the 17th and 18th century and what had changed since then. The course is addressed to string players of any style of music. It would be good, if you bring your own instrument, so we have a variety of different instruments for comparing sound. With everyone’s participation we can all learn from each other.

The workshop will be held in English or German, depending on the language abilities of the group. It will be held in a casual, relaxed atmosphere at our studio in Kreuzberg.

Workshop concerts

From time to time I organize concerts in my atelier, for which I usually bring together musicians of various musical styles. The idea is to create a setting that makes it possible to challenge musical boundaries and that inspires intimate concerts full of warmth and spontaneity. In case you would like to be informed about future events, subscribe for the newsletter here or follow my facebook page.

Upcoming Concerts

Thursday, 2.October 2025


doors: 19.30
start: 20.00 




Aki Takase
piano
www.akitakase.de/

 Daniel Erdmann
saxophone
www.daniel-erdmann.com/

________


Liam Byrne
viola da gamba
www.liambyrne.net/

Aki Takase was born in Osaka and studied music in Tokyo, Japan. Since 1978 she has given concerts and made recordings in the USA and Japan with Lester Bowie, Joe Henderson, Miroslav Vitous, John Zorn and others. In 1981 she gave her first European concert at the Jazzfest Berlin. From 1989 she played and directed the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra together with Alex von Schlippenbach, continued to give concerts worldwide and participated in recordings with Maria Joao, David Murray, N.H.Ø.Pedersen, Rudi Mahall, Louis Sclavis, Nils Wogram, Han Bennink, Daniel Erdmann and more. She was awarded the Berliner Zeitung Critics‘ Prize in 1999 and the SWR Jazz Prize in 2002. In 2004, she was awarded the German Record Critics‘ Prize of the Year for “Aki Takase plays Fats Waller”. In 2018 she was awarded the Berlin Jazz Prize and in 2021 she was awarded the German Jazz Prize (Piano and Keyboard Instruments). Aki Takase received the Albert Mangelsdorff Prize in 2021.

www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr3/wdr3-jazz/giant-steps-in-jazz/audio-mit-fingerspitzen-und-ellenbogen---aki-takase-100.html

Daniel Erdmann was born in 1973 in Wolfsburg, Germany. He has been playing the saxophone since 1983 and studied a.o.with Gebhard Ullmann at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler. He recorded albums for various labels, i.a. BMC, ENJA, ACT, LABEL BLEU, INTAKT and plays concerts worldwide with bands and musicians like Das Kapital, Vincent Courtois, Aki Takase, Carlos Bica, Heinz Sauer, Samuel Rohrer, Henri Texier. In 2014 he founded the German-French company DAS ATELIER and his new band Daniel Erdmann's Velvet Revolution with Théo Ceccaldi and Jim Hart. The first album of the band ( BMC Records ) was awarded the Year Award of German Critic and an Echo Jazz. Daniel Erdmann also collaborates with dancer Nicolas Fayol and painter Jean Michel Hannecart, and in autumn 2019 Velvet Revolution's second album was released. In 2020 Daniel received the SWR Jazzpreis and in 2021 the Deutscher Jazzpreis in the Woodwind category.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1GaMnqIcko&list=RDH1GaMnqIcko&start_radio=1&ab_channel=BudapestMusicCenter


Liam Byrne spends most of his time playing either very old or very new music on the viola da gamba. An obsession with the instrument’s most obscure 16th and 17th century repertoire is a recurring theme in his work, whether in devising baroque performance installations for the Victoria & Albert museum, or in collaboration with the Appalachian fiddler Cleek Schrey, or creating new electronic works with Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson. Liam’s solo performances frequently combine old viol music with new works written for him by composers such as David Lang, Nico Muhly, and Edmund Finnis, among many others. In June 2017, Liam was commissioned by the Victoria & Albert museum to create a site-specific sound installation for their new Courtyard Gallery, which resulted in the 8-hour long piece Partials, an exploration of the space’s resonance derived entirely from upper partial harmonics played on the viol.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-04HWy-joI&list=RDj-04HWy-joI&start_radio=1&ab_channel=LiamByrne

Saturday, 11.October 2025


doors: 19.30
start: 20.00 


Solo recital

Suyeon Kang
violin
www.suyeon-kang.com/

________


L'est dans l'ouest

Jonas Müller
piano, composition

Rabah Hamrene
oud
www.jonasmuller.wixsite.com/


featuring
Suyeon Kang
violin

Korean-Australian violinist Suyeon Kang enjoys a versatile international performance career. Laureate of several international accolades, she secured 1st Prize & Audience Prize at the 2015 Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand). Other awards include major and/or special prizes at the International Violin Competitions: Yehudi Menuhin (2010), Indianapolis (2014), Bayreuth (2013), Buenos Aires (2012), and Leopold Mozart (2009). Suyeon has a great love for chamber music and is co-founder of the Trio Boccherini. 2023 brought her to a significant new chapter being appointed the newest member of the renowned Belcea Quartet. Her orchestral experiences have been largely crafted in her role as Concertmaster of the Kammerakademie Potsdam (2019-2025), and as member of Camerata Bern (2017-2024). Regular invitations as a guest concertmaster – in recent years frequently also in a Play/Direct capacity with more personal programming with several orchestras i.e. Kammerakademie Potsdam, Baroque Orchestra of Seville, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Daejon Philharmonic Orchestra, CHAARTS Chamber Artists, Camerata Strumentale Città di Prato, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen & Camerata Bern. Her major pedagogues and mentors include Antje Weithaas, Daniel Gaede, Rainer Schmidt, Josette Esquedin Morgan, Goetz Richter, Spira Mirabilis, as well as the late Hatto Beyerle & Alice Waten. In late 2023, she commenced teaching a violin class at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, previously having served as Prof. Antje Weithaas‘ assistant for several years.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7IWx3yQs0&ab_channel=CAMERATABERN

Jonas Müller, born 1975 in Bornholm, Denmark started as a classical pianist, but soon moved to jazz and other musical traditions from around the world. Jonas studied jazz piano at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and composition at Mills College in the US. Jonas currently lives in Berlin as a freelance musician and teaches at Hochschule Osnabrück.

Rabah Hamrene, born 1979 Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria grew up with various musical traditions of Algeria including Chaabi, Arab-Andalous as well as his native Kabyle traditions. Being a resident of France since 2005 he has worked with many prominent world music groups such as Djazia and Gnawa-difusion.

The duo L'Est dans ouest was formed in 2010 in France as an attempt to fuse the world of Oriental music with Western music such as jazz and classical music. The repertoire mostly consists of original compositions inspired by Oriental and Maghreb music traditions.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJNbSXCmlJs&list=RDZJNbSXCmlJs&start_radio=1&ab_channel=JonasMuller

Concerts in the past

17. Februar 2024

Mayumi Kanagawa - Violin

Yannick Rafalimanana - Piano

Max Andrzejewski - Drums, composition

31. März 2023

Camille Phelep - Piano

Mark Kagan - Violin

24. März 2023

Henrik von Holtum - Guitar, voice

Anadolu Quartet - Europa

Ahmet Tirgil - 1. Violin

Dorothée Royez - 2. Violin

Theresa Burggaller - Viola

Zeynep Akdil - Cello

4. März 2023

Fabiana Striffler - Violin

Liron Yariv - Cello

Megan Jowett - Viola

James Banner - Double bass

Paul Santner - Guitar

Declan Forde - Piano

18.December 2021

Aurora Nealand - Voice, saxophone, clarinet

Greg Cohen - Double bass

Leo Forde - Guitar

Declan Forde - Piano

22.November 2019

Karl Espegard - Violin
Diego Romero - Guitar

Berliner Tango

Jonas Müller - Accordion, composition
Camille Phelep - Piano
David Hagen - Double bass

27. October 2018

Michael Brooks-Reid – Violin

Joel Hunter (Solo-Viola Mahler Chamber Orch.) - Viola

Michal Beck - Cello

James Banner - Double bass
Declan Forde - Piano
João Lopes Pereira - Drums

15.January 2018

Roland Satterwhite - Viola, voice

Barnaby Tree - Cello

Viola Torros project

Cat Lamb - Viola Johnny Chang - Viola

Maia Cabezza - Violin

22. November 2017

Rhob Cunningham- Guitar, voice

GRIFFURE

Amaryllis Billet - Violin, voice
Leonore Grollemund - Cello

Tilman Hussla - Violin
Beata Antikainen - Cello

19.Dezember 2016

Arabic / Anatol Instrumental Music   

L'est dans l'Ouest  

Jonas Müller - Piano                                                        
Rabah Hamrene - Oud
                                     
Leonore Grollemund - Cello
Marlene Ito - Violine                      

Marlene Ito (Berliner Philharmoniker) - Violine
Michele Gurdal - Piano                                                           

27.Mai 2016

J.S.Bach - Partita No.2 in D-Minor

Irish singer-songwriter

12.Dezember 2015

Prisca Stalmarsci - Barock violin

Mathew Jones - Theorba

The Villagers (Connor O'Brien) - Guitar, voice

24.Februar 2015

Sebastian Peszko - Viola solo

Avi & Ahmed      

Daniel Avi Schneider - Violine
Ahmed Eid - Kontrabass

Jazz Manouche, Swing Musette