Die Big Band der Bundeswehr - Clubkonzert 2025 - Benefiz

The Bundeswehr Big Band - over 50 years of the world's best swing, rock and pop music

The Bundeswehr Big Band, under the direction of band leader Timor Oliver Chadik, is one of the most unusual show and entertainment orchestras in Germany. The musicians from North Rhine-Westphalia present themselves both as a modern-sounding calling card for the Federal Republic of Germany and as top-class musical ambassadors.

Uniformity has no place in the music of the Bundeswehr Big Band. All instrumentalists are hand-picked, first-class soloists in their fields and graduates of the most renowned art academies for modern entertainment music.

In 1971, the then Minister of Defense and later Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt therefore commissioned a formation that was capable of creating a modern sound for a modern army. At the concerts, the people were to hear the hits of their time, the great classics of days gone by and the swing and jazz music that has always remained current. This musical concept, which was launched 50 years ago, is still very popular and relevant today. For example, Presidents of the United States, the German President and the Pope have all tapped their feet or snapped their fingers to the groove of the Bundeswehr Big Band.

For good reason, the Bundeswehr Big Band has played without a fee ever since it was formed. Since day one, the entrance fees of well over 20 million euros have been used to help people in need.

In addition, the swing formation is always a welcome guest abroad: Moscow, New York, Washington, Es Paso, Oslo, Madrid, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Kuala Lumpur, Nairobi, Addis Ababa or Seoul - hardly any country is unknown or too far away for the Bundeswehr Big Band. The 24 professional musicians also know their way around the diplomatic, social and dance floors and know what is expected of them.

Over the past five decades, the Big Band of the German Armed Forces has gained an exceptional reputation in show business, which it has permanently enhanced and is working on further consolidating and expanding. This also includes collaborations with major artists from the national and international music scene. For example, Joris, Gregor Meyle, Klaus Lage, Pe Werner, Max Mutzke, Laith Al-Deen, Till Brönner, James Blunt and Samu Haber have already played together with the swing formation.

With the club concert at the Pantheon, the ensemble deliberately demonstrates that it can inspire the audience with a classic big band jazz program in an intimate setting without star guests and high technical expenditure. Each musician is an excellent movement player and soloist on their respective instrument - many have even written their own pieces for "their" orchestra. Experience shows that one evening alone is not enough to experience the entire artistic quality spectrum of this band. All the arrangements to be heard on this evening offer plenty of space for soloists as well as for the rich ensemble sound of the big band. Swinging, modern mainstream big band jazz guarantees an energetic musical experience.