Duo FLUX
Christina Fuchs - soprano sax, clarinet, bass clarinet
Florian Stadler - accordion
Live video production at O-Ton Cologne on 5/6 July 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.
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.
On their new album Roots & Rhyzomes (JazzHausMusik Köln) and in upcoming concerts, they will present this concept in 2024.
Here's a broadcast about the recording in jazzfacts by Thomas Loewner, Deutschlandfunk April 18, 2024.
Fotocredit: Heike Fischer
Our new album will be released in April 2024! It was recorded in March 2023 at the chamber music hall of the Deutschlandfunk Cologne.
next concerts: Sept 15,2024 Mecklenburg Wangeliner Garten, Sept 16,2024 Magdeburg, Jazz in der Kammer, Oct 10, 2024 Baden (Switzerland), Oct 30, 2024 Wuppertal LOCH, Nov 17, 2024 Düsseldorf Kit-Cafe
Jazzweek Cologne 2024
“...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. A live recording will be broadcast on WDR3 in October, stay tuned!
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
FUCHSTHONE ORCHESTRA 2024 Reloaded #6
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 currently in the process of being created and will be performed on stage in May. This concert will be performed without our new guest, the Berlin video artist Claudia Schmitz, who will be joining us in August. 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 will be a very special premiere! As a member of the ensemble, she will shape the program visually and conceptually live on stage. We are looking forward to a feast of images, colors and music!
next concerts: 27.10.24 Würzburg Jazzfestival, 14.11.24 Cologne, Stadtgarten, 15.11.24 Dortmund, Domicil
Foto: Volker Beushausen
Press quotes from the Wuppertal performance Aug 31, 2024:
“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
SONIQ - Literature & Spoken Word
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
Working scholarship for composition at Scuol/Nairs (CH)
I will be spending February 2024 with a working scholarship for composition at the Fundaziun NAIRS art centre in Switzerland! Looking forward...
Fotocredit: Volker Beushausen
FUCHSTHONE ORCHESTRA CD Release Tour 2023
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!
The New York City Jazz Records Best of List 2022!
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
FUCHSTHONE Chamber ORCHESTRA
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!
SONIQ Archipelago
The new project of the musicians' collective SONIQ. More at soniq-music.com
Archipelago Video
Travelling residency in Iceland
Thanks to i-Portunus I will be travelling for research to Iceland in July 2021. Very much looking forward!
Nominated for the German Jazzprice 2021
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
Big Band Records
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-Festival Oct 2-7.2018
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
WINNER of 5th Annual Jazz Composition Contest for Women Composers 2017
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.
COLOGNE meets MELBOURNE
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
International Competition 'Scrivere in Jazz' 2016 Sardinia/Italy
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.
Christina Fuchs 'No Tango Quartet' @ Jazz au Chellah Festival Maroc
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
WDR JAZZ AWARD winner for COMPOSITION 2014: Christina Fuchs