Classical Music in Dialogue with Jazz – Preserving Tradition, Exploring New Horizons
Founded in 2023, Duo Passacaglia is dedicated to reinterpreting the works of great composers such as Bach, Schumann, Beethoven, and Brahms, casting them in a contemporary and refreshing light. The ensemble creates a sensitive balance between the familiar melodies of classical masterpieces and the impulsive creativity of jazz, offering audiences a truly exceptional listening experience.
Themes from the original classical compositions appear as recognizable motifs—like mosaic pieces—that serve as the foundation for lyrical and dynamic dialogues between piano and saxophone. This project both honors tradition and ventures into new artistic territory.
GERMAN MUSICAL HERITAGE AND INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE
Duo Passacaglia stands as a representative of German music culture while simultaneously inviting intercultural exchange, building bridges and opening doors through music. In addition to numerous performances across Germany, the duo has toured Central America and Nepal, often in collaboration with the German embassies, the Goethe-Institut, and the Humboldt-Institut.
These tours have included encounters and collaborations with local guest musicians, as well as workshops and masterclasses. Music projects were also carried out in children’s villages and social institutions. Both musicians have been internationally active for many years, performing as soloists, composers, and arrangers in a wide range of genres—from classical to jazz, pop, and world music—and have collaborated with artists and cultural institutions around the globe.
ACTIVITIES SINCE 2024 (Selection)
Tour of Nepal with concerts, workshops for children and youth, and collaborations with local musicians, including at Ganesh Children’s Home (Kathmandu), Jazz Conservatory Kathmandu, Gypsy Jazz Club Patan, and Himali Bidhalaya Children’s Village (Pokhara)
Performances in Germany, including at Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf and the Jazznacht Bonn
Central America Tour in cooperation with the German Embassy in Tegucigalpa, the Goethe-Institut, and the Humboldt-Institut, with concerts and workshops in Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Honduras
– including events at the Humboldt Forum San José, MARTE Museum San Salvador, ApoAutis Center for Autistic Children in Tegucigalpa, as well as performances in Gracias Lempira, Tela, and San Pedro Sula in collaboration with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Valle de Sula
MARCUS SCHINKEL – Piano
Marcus Schinkel is a pianist, keyboardist, and composer renowned for his unique fusion of classical, jazz, and rock, which he blends in a vibrant and entertaining musical dialogue. After studying jazz piano at Conservatorium Artez in Arnhem (Netherlands), he premiered his first “Crossover Beethoven” project in 1999 during the farewell ceremony of the German Bundestag in Bonn—marking the beginning of many classical-meets-jazz endeavors.
This led to performances throughout Europe, Russia, the Caribbean, and Vietnam. In 2018, he represented North Rhine-Westphalia as a cultural ambassador in Chengdu, China, performing his “Crossover Beethoven” program with Chinese musicians.
Schinkel has given masterclasses and concerts for the Humboldt-Institut in Honduras (2017 and 2019), working with youth orchestras and rock bands, and was invited by the German Embassy in Rome for concerts with Italian guest musicians in 2021. In 2023, he performed in Panama and Costa Rica, both as a soloist and in various constellations with local musicians.
He has been repeatedly honored as “Germany’s Best Keyboardist” by the German Pop & Rock Music Foundation. His collaborations include the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, the WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, and the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Westphalia.
In 2024, Schinkel presents performances of his jazz mass “Credo In Unum Mundum”, based on Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, featuring over 120 performers—a jazz trio, choir, orchestra, and singers representing all five world religions.
REINER WITZEL – Saxophone
Reiner Witzel is a highly versatile and internationally acclaimed saxophonist, who has long been a prominent voice in both the national and international music scenes. His wide-ranging collaborations and performances span jazz, pop, and world music, working with renowned artists such as Richie Beirach, Dave Liebman, Alex Sipiagin, Fela Kuti, The Supremes, and Udo Lindenberg, alongside a wealth of original projects that have earned him global recognition.
Witzel has performed at prestigious festivals including the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Montevideo Jazz Festival. His numerous albums have reached the UK and Japanese jazz charts, and his compositions include works for theater and television.
A graduate of the Cologne University of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, Witzel has received multiple awards, including a scholarship from the German Ministry of Culture and the Hennessy Jazz Award.
He teaches at the Maastricht Conservatory and the Robert Schumann University of Music in Düsseldorf, and is in high demand internationally as a workshop leader, collaborating regularly with cultural institutions and festivals worldwide.
