Christina Fuchs - Composition | Saxophones and Clarinets

Thanks to the Kunststiftung NRW I will be Artist-in-Residence at Atelier Galata in Istanbul January to March 2025!  Looking so much forward...

Fotocredit: Volker Beushausen

Christina Fuchs - soprano sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
Florian Stadler - accordion

Live video production in 2024 including a workshop concert! With a fantastic team around Heiko Specht_Video, Andreas Hanten_Ton and Stefan Döring from the location K7/O-Ton we were able to create 2 days of relaxed video material with and without an audience.
Supported by the IFM e.V. Initiative Freie Musik in Köln, funded by the City of Cologne, Department of Culture.

To the  Video

Two protagonists of jazz-based improvisation music use acoustic instruments to develop a discourse on the possibilities of contemporary interplay. Delicate counterpoint and prancing polyrhythms sound effortlessly alongside raw towers of sound, vehement chord clusters and simple cantability.

When Christina Fuchs and Florian Stadler founded the duo FLUX in 2018, the Bonn-based accordionist and the Cologne-based saxophonist, clarinettist and composer were still experimenting with the various forms and possibilities of composed and electro-acoustic music. Over time, the two like-minded musicians found a new orientation towards purely analogue improvised music.
They present this concept on their new album Roots & Rhyzomes JazzHausMusik Köln and in upcoming concerts.

Fotocredit: Heike Fischer

PRESS:

"The Cologne duo FLUX presents ‘Roots and Rhyzomes’, a masterpiece of improvised chamber music. These recordings were created at Deutschlandfunk's chamber music hall in just three days without any preparation. Its transparent surround sound provides the ideal resonance space for the spontaneously developed improvisations - making the organically grown, self-contained result all the more remarkable. ‘Roots and Rhyzomes’ celebrates the art of spontaneous improvisation at the highest level and is a perfect example of the free musical interaction between two outstanding instrumental artists acting as equals." Jazzthetik 7/24

"The first thing that strikes you is the pure, beautiful sound of the instruments. The selectivity, the tonal balance, the reproduction of the sound space, the placement of the instruments - all of this is close to perfection. The richness of the sound details and melodic ideas is also impressive. In these compositions with no unnecessary haste, we find subtle chamber music and beautiful melodies interwoven with wonderful improvisation."  Jazz-fun 4/2024

next concerts: May 17, 2025 Pohrsdorf

 In its fifth year, the ensemble is breaking new ground: Reloaded #6 is all about visualization, improvisation and new ensemble formats. The new compositions by Caroline Thon and Christina Fuchs are built differently due to the narratives of the visuals of media artist Claudia Schmitz who joines us with Live Moving Images. The FUCHSTHONE ORCHESTRA is thus expanding its spectrum by another genre. Claudia Schmitz is the very first guest artist we have ever invited, so this isva very special premiere! As a member of the ensemble, she shapes the program visually and conceptually live on stage. 

www.fuchsthone.com

Foto: Volker Beushausen

Press:

“The FUCHSTHONE ORCHESTRA never lacked a grand gesture - it was both: self-confident and convincing.” Westdeutsche Zeitung 3.9.24

“Rarely before have we heard such a stringent combination of different jazz styles, both traditional modern and completely free, with contemporary compositional techniques of serious music and noisy elements... After frenetic applause, the audience is truly flabbergasted, sometimes speechless, by the level of playing and musicianship of the performers and of the compositions.” ENGELS.KULTUR.KINO.WUPPERTAL-  HARTMUT SASSENHAUSEN

“...a spectacular multimedia concert by Cologne's Fuchsthone Orchestra raised the bar for the future of contemporary jazz orchestra culture.

The synaesthetic overall experience was enhanced by innovative light art. Claudia Schmitz, a visual artist with heart and soul, created a visual world that filled the space with rotating geometric figures and abstract, proliferating light patterns. Textures of light and shapes spread out unpredictably and were as intensely charged as the sound eruptions of the large ensemble.” Stefan Pieper, JazzZeitung 9/24

“This is about much more than just displaying the highest level of artistic ability: the Fuchsthone Orchestra considers music to be a social, interactive instrument for conveying global messages. With this concept, the two Cologne band leaders Christina Fuchs and Caroline Thon use the medium of music to sharpen the focus on the big picture.” Stefan Pieper nrwjazz.net 4.9.24

Broadcast: BR Jazztime 2.1.2025 22:03-23:00 FUCHSTHONE live at 39. Würzburger Jazzfestival 

next concerts: 4.4.2025 Wuppertal, 5.4.2025 Aachen

“...the FIRE! Orchestra by Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, who performed a short version of his epic “Echoes” with three string players and a passionate wind ensemble of Cologne musicians - they all juggled with colors, intensity and rhythms in Cologne's Klangfabrik.”
On September 7, 2024 at the WDR Sendesaal Cologne. Here's the live recording broadcasted on WDR3 !

Mats Gustafsson – sax/cond
Mats Äleklint – trb
Anna Lindal – viol
Alexander Zethson – key
Johan Berthling – b
David Sandström – dr/voc
Pascal Klewer – trp
Frederik Köster – trp
Matthias Muche – trb
Christina Fuchs – sax, bcl
Julian Bossert – sax
Victor Fox – sax/cl
Emily Wittbrodt – cel
Anna Neubert – viol

Fotocredit: Volker Beushausen

In his latest book "Victory City", the unbending fighter for freedom of expression Salman Rushdie provides the central theme and source of inspiration for the current SONIQ project Literature & Spoken Word. The book interweaves Indian mythology and history in a fantasy world. At the same time, very real references are made to the burning issues of our time: Power and abuse of power, the rise and fall of a world power, women in a patriarchal world.

featuring:

Sascha Ley - actress, singer and performer (Luxembourg)

Mitch Heinrich - sound poet, lyricist and vocal performer (Wuppertal)

Christina Fuchs - Reeds

Jarry Singla - Piano

Ramesh Shotham - Percussion

next concerts: 12.6.24 Wuppertal LOCH, 13.6.24 Herford Stiftkirche, 16.6.24 Köln Stadtgarten

www.soniq-music.com

Fotocredit: Jürgen Bindrim

FUCHSTHONE ORCHESTRA presents:

STRUCTURES & BEAUTY  / ENJA Records Double Album Release date: April 28, 2023

Our debut CD is out since April 28 and we played rrelease concerts at Jazzfest Magdeburg, Tollhaus Karlsruhe, Jazzfest Bonn Dinslaken, Munich/Unterfahrt, Dornbirn/Spielboden (A), Düsseldorf and Cologne at Stadtgarten which were a total blast! Thank for oming out and sharing the experience!

A few press quotes:

 „Big, so beautiful. Structures & Beauty is the assertion that beauty exists…“  JazzThing 6/23

 „…Zappa would have had a blast with it, though Carla Bley's "Escalator over the Hill" epic could also have been the inspiration. Philosophical thinking meets musical vision here...radically fresh and exciting!”  Jazzpodium 6/7 23

 "The debut double album of the Fuchsthone Orchestra is a large-orchestral masterpiece…“ Jazzthetik 5/6 23

 “Spectacular concert by the Fuchsthone Orchestra from Cologne rocked the Pantheon...certainly one of the best of the 13th Bonn Jazz Festival..." Generalanzeiger Bonn

 
Check out our exciting "Making of" on our Youttube channel!

www.fuchsthone.com 

Happy to be honourably mentioned with the new release of  KontraSax- Die Kunst des Reisens in The New York City Jazz Records Best of List 2022!

next concerts: May 3, 2024 Cologne/Christuskirche, Sept 1st Troisdorf, Kunstverein

Festival "Romanischer Sommer" Cologne

It is probably the most beautiful festival in Cologne, presenting different genres in all of the 12 romanic churches in the city.

FUCHSTHONE was part of it with a commision for a 10 piece chamber orchestra!

The video of the WDR recording is now online!

The new project of the musicians' collective SONIQ. More at soniq-music.com

Archipelago Video

Thanks to i-Portunus I will be travelling for research to Iceland in July 2021. Very much looking forward!

New VideoTrailer and a complete composition of mine: MAMOIADA

more information:  www.fuchsthone.com

Line-up
Christina Fuchs, Caroline Thon (Lead, Composition, Conducting)
Roger Hanschel, Theresia Philipp, Matthew Halpin, Jens Böckamp (Saxophones) Susanne Weidinger (sax, clarinet, flute), Christian Mehler, Matthias Knoop, Heidi Bayer, Matthias Bergmann (Trumpets), Philipp Schittek, Matthias Schuller, Matthias Muche (Trombones), Wolf Schenk (basstrombone, tuba), Zuzana Leharova (violin), Filippa Gojo (voice), Laia Genc (piano), Andreas Wahl (guitar), Alex Morsey (bass), Jens Düppe (drums), Eva Pöpplein (electronics, live samples)

upcoming Concerts:

Oct 16, 2021 Darmstadt, Dec 11, 2021 Cologne

This is pretty classy imaginative big band playing, compositions by reedist/arranger Christina Fuchs, appearing on the Big Band Records label. If you are into Maria Schneider then you will land happily enough here.              Marlbank, Ireland 17.7.2019

buy here: Big Band Records

or digital on bandcamp

Multiphonics Seven play Wood4Winds

Wood4Winds will be the second home production of the Multiphonics-Festival.

Christina Fuchs, WDR JAZZ AWARD winner for composition wrote a program for four clarinetists 

who will be prensented at the festival, firts of all "Artist-in-Residence" Anat Cohen from New York, Gabriele Mirabassi, Kazutoki Umezu and Annette Maye.

The rhythmussection will be from Cologne: Hans Lüdemann, Piano, Reza Askari, Kontrabass und Christoph Hillmann, Drums.

4.10.2018 Köln, Stadtgarten 5.10.2018 Dortmund, Domicil

We received a wonderful variety of compositions from composers in Germany, Israel, Korea, Canada and USA!  Thank you to all the women who entered this years's contest!

This year's winner award goes to Christina Fuchs for Roots and Rhyzomes

The compositions will be premiered and recorded live by the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra featuring special guest  Sherrie Maricleof DIVA at the Shorewood Performing Arts Center on October 25, 2017 as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival. Composers will be in attendance.

Europe Tour 2014

The Tour was great! Thanks to everybody who contributed.

from l to r:

Ulla Oster, Florian Stadler, Scott Tinkler, Andrea Keller, Christoph Hillmann, Christina Fuchs, Joe Talia, Ian Whitehurst

Artpipes e.V. is excited to announce the second installment of it’s Australian-German cultural collaboration. Cologne Meets Melbourne brings two leading female jazz composers from opposite ends of the world together on stage for a series of concerts in Europe, May 2014. Cologne contemporary jazz unit, the Christina Fuchs Quartet ‘No Tango’ met up with Melbourne’s Andrea Keller Quartet in Australia, 2012. Artpipes’ first exchange project brought the two quartets together in an international octet experience premiering at Australia’s Wangaratta Jazz Festival, with new music written by Fuchs, Keller and ‘No Tango’ bassist Oster.

15.5.14 Dresden

16.5.14 Berlin

17.5.14 Dortmund (WDR Jazz Meeting)

18:5.14 Luxembourg

22.5.14 Wuppertal

23.5.14 Munich

15.5.14 Cologne

 more info: www.artpipes.net special thanks to Maryanne Piper for the idea and organisation

1st price for Christina Fuchs at the international competition for jazz orchestra 'Scrivere in Jazz' in the category 'original composition' ! The final concerts took place on September 8th and 9th in Sassari, Palazzo di Città/Teatro Civico. The music was played by the 'Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna', Conductor: Paolo Silvestri.

No Tango Quartet live @ the Festival Jazz au Chellah Rabat/Maroc

Sept 20, 2015  8:30 pm

After the quartet concert, No Tango will meet the marocan singer Sana'a Marahati with 

her band on the same stage at 9:30 pm

Sept 21, 2015  No Tango Quartet @ Tanger /Maroc

Salle Severo Ochoa, 8:30 pm- thanks to Goethe Institute Maroc