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Piano Duo Festival #2 - Day 2: Anders/ Schmolling & Takase/ Schlippenbach
Event by: Kühlspot Social Club, Piano Duo Festival Berlin, Isabel Omara Espichicoque Anders
Location: Kühlspot Social Club, Lehderstraße 74, Berlin - Bezirk Pankow
About event
PIANO DUO FESTIVAL FOR IMPROVISED & EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC #2
The second edition of The Piano Duo Festival will happen on October 8 & 10 2025
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About the Festival:
The invited pianists meet in a setting that deviates from the classical concert world, engaging in open musical dialogue without stylistic boundaries. The festival aims to give piano duos greater attention, recognition, and visibility in an improvisational context.
Curated by Isabel Anders, the festival happened for the first time in 2024 and is presented since 2025 in collaboration with piano partner Marc Schmolling.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
DAY 2 - 10.10.2025
Set 1: 20:30h
Isabel Anders & Marc Schmolling
Set 2: 21:20h
Aki Takase & Alexander von Schlippenbach
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🎹 Marc Schmolling – Composer & pianist, studied jazz piano in Munich, based in Berlin since 2006. Played with leading figures of international jazz & improvisation. Winner of Jazz Award Berlin (2008). His trio album Live in Berlin/Vol. 1 was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award (2010). Solo albums Not So Many Stars (2016) and Suvenýr (2020, Top Ten NYC Jazz Record). Composed for Danish Radio Chamber Choir, BR Choir & Chorwerk Ruhr. Created a prepared piano work for Johanna Diehl (Haus am Waldsee, 2019). In 2022 the Munich Philharmonic premiered his suite Excursions with works by Reich & Cage. Co-founder of Jazzkollektiv Berlin and its festival Kollektiv Nights.
🎹 Aki Takase – Born in Osaka, studied in Tokyo. Since 1978 concerts & recordings in Japan, USA & Europe with Lester Bowie, Joe Henderson, John Zorn, David Murray, Han Bennink, Louis Sclavis, Daniel Erdmann and many more. First European concert: Jazzfest Berlin (1981). From 1989 played & led the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra with Alex von Schlippenbach. Awards include SWR Jazz Prize (2002), German Record Critics’ Annual Award (2004), Jazzpreis Berlin (2018), Deutscher Jazzpreis & Albert-Mangelsdorff Prize (2021). Projects include Japanic (with Erdmann, DJ IllVibe, Carlos Bica, Dag Magnus Narvesen), H.A.L Trio (with Bennink, Sclavis), Carmen Rhapsody (with Nakamura, Courtois, Erdmann) and interdisciplinary works with Yoko Tawada & Yui Kawaguchi.
🎹 Alexander von Schlippenbach – Born in Berlin (1938), studied with Bernd Alois Zimmermann in Cologne. Member of Manfred Schoof Quintet (1964–67). One of Europe’s leading free jazz bandleaders, combining improvisation with contemporary classical. Founded the Globe Unity Orchestra (1966) and later the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Longstanding collaborations with Evan Parker, Paul Lovens, Sven-Åke Johansson, Tony Oxley, Sam Rivers & Aki Takase. Renowned for solo concerts and his performances of the complete works of Thelonious Monk with Rudi Mahall & Die Enttäuschung.
🎹 Isabel Anders (b. 2001, Berlin) – German-Cuban pianist, composer & improviser. Trained at a Russian music school from age 6, later with Prodromos Symeonidis, Vladimir Tropp, Sascha Dragićević & Stefan Streich, focusing on composition and contemporary music.
Since 2021, she has begun exploring and connecting with the improvised and contemporary music scene. Appearances on: „Blurred Edges Festival” , KOLLEKTIV NIGHTS Festival, “XJAZZ”, “STOP OVER – Residency“…Solo performances and collaborations with ensembles across Europe, Asia, and the UK.
In October 2024, initiated the Piano Duo Festival for Improvised and Experimental Music, which is now intended to become an annual event in Berlin.
Photo Credits:
Roman Stolyar: Oleg Bessonov
Isabel Anders: Sergei Haudring
Helmut Bieler-Wendt: Jürgen Rösner
Magda Mayas: Olivier Jaquet
Marc Schilling: Dieter Düvelmeyer
Chris Abrahams: unknown
Aki Takase: Dirk Bleicker
Alexander v. Schlippenbach: Dirk Bleicker
The second edition of The Piano Duo Festival will happen on October 8 & 10 2025
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
About the Festival:
The invited pianists meet in a setting that deviates from the classical concert world, engaging in open musical dialogue without stylistic boundaries. The festival aims to give piano duos greater attention, recognition, and visibility in an improvisational context.
Curated by Isabel Anders, the festival happened for the first time in 2024 and is presented since 2025 in collaboration with piano partner Marc Schmolling.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
DAY 2 - 10.10.2025
Set 1: 20:30h
Isabel Anders & Marc Schmolling
Set 2: 21:20h
Aki Takase & Alexander von Schlippenbach
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
🎹 Marc Schmolling – Composer & pianist, studied jazz piano in Munich, based in Berlin since 2006. Played with leading figures of international jazz & improvisation. Winner of Jazz Award Berlin (2008). His trio album Live in Berlin/Vol. 1 was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award (2010). Solo albums Not So Many Stars (2016) and Suvenýr (2020, Top Ten NYC Jazz Record). Composed for Danish Radio Chamber Choir, BR Choir & Chorwerk Ruhr. Created a prepared piano work for Johanna Diehl (Haus am Waldsee, 2019). In 2022 the Munich Philharmonic premiered his suite Excursions with works by Reich & Cage. Co-founder of Jazzkollektiv Berlin and its festival Kollektiv Nights.
🎹 Aki Takase – Born in Osaka, studied in Tokyo. Since 1978 concerts & recordings in Japan, USA & Europe with Lester Bowie, Joe Henderson, John Zorn, David Murray, Han Bennink, Louis Sclavis, Daniel Erdmann and many more. First European concert: Jazzfest Berlin (1981). From 1989 played & led the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra with Alex von Schlippenbach. Awards include SWR Jazz Prize (2002), German Record Critics’ Annual Award (2004), Jazzpreis Berlin (2018), Deutscher Jazzpreis & Albert-Mangelsdorff Prize (2021). Projects include Japanic (with Erdmann, DJ IllVibe, Carlos Bica, Dag Magnus Narvesen), H.A.L Trio (with Bennink, Sclavis), Carmen Rhapsody (with Nakamura, Courtois, Erdmann) and interdisciplinary works with Yoko Tawada & Yui Kawaguchi.
🎹 Alexander von Schlippenbach – Born in Berlin (1938), studied with Bernd Alois Zimmermann in Cologne. Member of Manfred Schoof Quintet (1964–67). One of Europe’s leading free jazz bandleaders, combining improvisation with contemporary classical. Founded the Globe Unity Orchestra (1966) and later the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Longstanding collaborations with Evan Parker, Paul Lovens, Sven-Åke Johansson, Tony Oxley, Sam Rivers & Aki Takase. Renowned for solo concerts and his performances of the complete works of Thelonious Monk with Rudi Mahall & Die Enttäuschung.
🎹 Isabel Anders (b. 2001, Berlin) – German-Cuban pianist, composer & improviser. Trained at a Russian music school from age 6, later with Prodromos Symeonidis, Vladimir Tropp, Sascha Dragićević & Stefan Streich, focusing on composition and contemporary music.
Since 2021, she has begun exploring and connecting with the improvised and contemporary music scene. Appearances on: „Blurred Edges Festival” , KOLLEKTIV NIGHTS Festival, “XJAZZ”, “STOP OVER – Residency“…Solo performances and collaborations with ensembles across Europe, Asia, and the UK.
In October 2024, initiated the Piano Duo Festival for Improvised and Experimental Music, which is now intended to become an annual event in Berlin.
Photo Credits:
Roman Stolyar: Oleg Bessonov
Isabel Anders: Sergei Haudring
Helmut Bieler-Wendt: Jürgen Rösner
Magda Mayas: Olivier Jaquet
Marc Schilling: Dieter Düvelmeyer
Chris Abrahams: unknown
Aki Takase: Dirk Bleicker
Alexander v. Schlippenbach: Dirk Bleicker