GERO HENSEL
BEYOND BORDERS
“Beyond Borders” - In a time full of military conflicts and political tensions, music can build bridges that create connections beyond borders and bring musicians from all over the world together. Music can thus set an example and show that international collaboration “beyond all borders” is not only possible, but productive, enriching and valuable. “Beyond Borders” is a project that does exactly that: seven musicians from Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy and France have come together to engage in an artistic dialogue, to exchange musically and to bring together their individual artistic styles and cultural backgrounds to create something completely new and magical. From this encounter and the interaction of the musical diversity and individuality of the individual musicians of “Beyond Borders” arises the unique and multifaceted sound body of the ensemble. With its music, “Beyond Borders” shows how enriching international artistic exchange and synergy can be, and demonstrates that international dialogue and peaceful cooperation can be successful.​
YEAHWON SHIN
The South Korean-born singer and ECM artist Yeahwon Shin first studied in Seoul at the “Dong Duk University of Music” and then at the renowned “New School University” in New York. Worldwide concerts and CD productions allowed her to collaborate with musicians such as Aaron Parks and Egberto Gismonti.
She recorded her debut album with Ben Street, Jeff Ballard, Kevin Hays and Mark Turner, among others. It was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2011.
In 2013, Yeahwon Shin's album “Lua Ya” was released on the ECM label together with Aaron Parks and Rob Curto.
Her unique voice and her distinctive composition style characterize Yeahwon Shin's music. Expressive melodies, driving rhythms and free improvisation are essential elements of her pieces, in which she enters into an extraordinary tonal symbiosis with trumpet and saxophone and breaks down the boundaries of typical jazz singing.
GERO HENSEL
Gero Hensel studied jazz trumpet in Mainz (Bachelor) and then jazz trumpet and composition in Munich (Master). As a freelance trumpeter, he is active both throughout Germany and internationally. He is part of various ensembles and projects and is regularly involved in studio work: for example, he played in the Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin, in the television of the “Hessischer Rundfunk” or recorded in the studio for Felix Jaehn. He is a winner of the “Kurt Maas-Jazz Award” (2019). Gero Hensel is currently teaching trumpet at the Catholic University of Eichstätt.
He also leads his own ensemble, the “Gero Hensel Ensemble”, in which he focuses on his own compositions and which has currently been awarded a scholarship from the State of Bavaria.
In his trumpet playing, Gero Hensel expands the sound spectrum of his instrument and opens the boundaries of jazz to other genres, such as world music, Avantgarde music or free improvisation, both in his playing and in his compositions. In doing so, he enriches the tonal diversity of the entire ensemble “Beyond Borders” and inspires his fellow musicians to play beyond the established boundaries of jazz.
MATTEO SABATTINI
Matteo Sabattini is an Italian-born saxophonist, composer and arranger.
He studied on a scholarship from the renowned “New School University” in New York and then at the “Manhattan School of Music”. He worked as a musician and artist in New York and the States for years, working with musicians such as Aaron Parks, Lage Lund, Chris Potter, Greg Hutchinson and Mike Moreno. Matteo Sabattini won international awards - such as the “Downbeat Students Award for Best Arrangement” (2018) and the “Downbeat Students Award for Outstanding Performance” (2019) - recorded numerous CDs and played and plays internationally at countless festivals and concerts. He is Doctor of Arts (DA), taught at the “University of Northern Colorado” and at the “Siena Jazz University” and is currently a lecturer at the “Conservatorio di Rovigo”.
A melodic improvisational style and complex compositions characterize the music of Matteo Sabattini. In In his pieces he organically combines the musical characteristics of his fellow musicians and embeds them in a multifaceted musical network of melody, rhythm and sound.
The pianist and jazz organist Masako Sakai, who was born in Japan and grew up in Singapore, studied piano (concert class) in Tokyo and Vienna. In 2002 she was a prize winner at the 8th International Mozart Competition in Salzburg. She received the renowned Bösendorfer scholarship from the Bösendorfer piano company in Vienna and is a Bösendorfer artist and member of “Bösendorfer Artists & Friends”.
She has performed as a soloist and chamber music musician in Japan and Europe and has also appeared at several music festivals. Above all, she is active as a jazz pianist and jazz organist. She is a member of various ensembles and works with various artists and has been involved in numerous CD productions, for example she recorded her own CD together with Tim Collins and Shinya Fukumori (ECM), among others.
Building on her roots in classical music, Masako Sakai combines elements of classical music, especially Avantgarde music, with elements of modern jazz in her playing and compositions and merges them into a sound body that, in its multifaceted nature, offers the musicians of “Beyond Borders” countless freedom for musical expression.
MASAKO SAKAI
The South Korean drummer Jongdae Oh studied Jazz first at the “Seoul Arts College” and then at the renowned jazz institute “CODARTS” in Rotterdam and at the “Kyung Hee University Graduate School”. He won numerous awards: For example, as a member of the band “Triologe ” he received two awards at the “Korean Popular Music Awards” in 2005 and was voted “Best Jazz Drummer” in the “Jazz People Reader's Poll” several times (2007, 2008, 2010). In addition to jazz music, he also worked in the field of classical music, Pop music and also Korean traditional music and has established himself in the jazz scene as an extremely versatile musician. He is one of the most active jazz musicians in South Korea, is active internationally and has recorded numerous CDs. He has been deputy chairman of the “Korean Jazz Association” since 2021. Since 2003 He is a professor at the renowned “Department of Music at Dong-A Institute of the Media and Arts”.
His musical versatility, sound and tonal flexibility characterize Jongdae Oh's style. He enriches “Beyond Borders” with his unique playing and compositions and expands the musical spectrum of the ensemble to include elements outside of jazz such as traditional Korean music.
JONGDAE OH
DAVID GUTTIEREZ
The French guitarist David Guttierez studied at the famous “IMFP - Institut Musical de Formation Professionnelle” in Salon de Provence (among others with Michel Zenino and Gerard Maurin) and at the “IACP - Institut For Artistic And Cultural Perception” in Paris (among others with Lionel and Stéphane Belmondo) and was a guitar student of Louis Winsberg. David Guttierez completed his diploma studies at the “Conservatoire Pierre Barbizet” in Marseilles with first prize (2003).
David Guttierez currently heads the jazz and pop department at the “Conservatoire de musique et danse Pablo Picasso” in Martigues, is a lecturer at the “Conservatoire Darius Milhaud” in Aix-en-Provence and is a regular guest lecturer at master classes at the IMFP and the “Conservatoire Pierre”. Barbizet” in Marseille. David Guttierez is musically active worldwide and in a variety of ways (CD productions, concerts, tours): He worked with musicians such as Jonas Burgwinkel, Andy Hunter, Johan Hörlén, Tony Lakatosch, and Andy Haderer, and played at festivals such as “Jazz in Porquerolles” , “Jazz in La Londe”, “Jazz des Cinq Continents” or “Jazz in Mechelen” and accompanies singers such as Christophe Maé, Patrick Fiori and Mickael Jones.
His versatile playing and energetic lines, and his harmonically and rhythmically complex compositions characterize “Beyond Borders” and enrich the ensemble with distinctive colors and sounds.
MASAKI KAI
The Japanese bassist Masaki Kai studied at the renowned Berklee College of Music with Hal Crook and Ed Tomassi, among others. After completing his studies, his interest in Norvegian music drew him to Norway, where he studied at the “Norges Musikkhøgskole”.
Masaki Kai has worked and continues to work with numerous international artists (projects, concerts, festivals, CD productions): including Walter Lang (ECM), Jenny Evans, Tim Collins and Koichi Sato. He currently lives and works in Japan.
With his melodic improvisation style, his unique sound and playing, Masaki Kai not only completes the overall sound body of “Beyond Borders”, but also allows the various individual influences of all the musicians of “Beyond Borders” to merge into a larger whole.