Florian Hoefner Group

In the organizer's words:

Lucas Pino (ts) Florian Hoefner (p) Adrian Vedady (b) Ivanna Cuesta (dr)

Jazz pianist and composer Florian Hoefner draws from a wide range of influences. Raised in Germany, educated in New York City and now living in Newfoundland (Canada), the Nuremberg native has developed his own style - characterized by musical diversity, artistic risk and ingenuity. The winner of the Canadian music prize JUNO is active in line-ups ranging from solo projects to chamber orchestras and has firmly established himself as an inventive and versatile artist in contemporary jazz. The New York Times praised him as a "composer and bandleader of sensitive determination", and Downbeat described him as a "harmonically daring pianist who opens up new worlds of sound".
With the Florian Hoefner Group, which launched his international career in the early 2010s, Hoefner released three albums on Seattle-based Origin Records, which received excellent reviews worldwide. The most recent album Luminosity with tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake was described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as "gripping, exciting and heart-warming".
The quartet can look back on over 100 concerts in North America, Europe and Australia, including an acclaimed performance at the Melbourne Jazz Festival 2019. After several years in which Hoefner concentrated on his award-winning trio, the band is now continuing its success story with a new line-up: New York-based tenor saxophonist Lucas Pino is one of the most sought-after sidemen of his generation and serves as Artistic Director of the Dave Brubeck Institute. Adrian Vedady, Juno Award winner and one of the leading bassists on the Canadian scene, works regularly with artists such as Ingrid Jensen, Christine Jensen and Marc Copland. Boston-based drummer Ivanna Cuesta from the Dominican Republic is one of the most exciting young voices on her instrument. She was part of the Next Jazz Legacy program under the direction of Terri Lyne Carrington and has played with Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding and Kris Davis, among others.
The new program presents brand new compositions by Florian Hoefner - energetic, melodically concise and rich in contrasting timbres - complemented by selected highlights from earlier releases. With his music, Hoefner builds a bridge between die-hard jazz fans and listeners who only discover during the concert that jazz has actually always been their music.