Exclusive concert as part of the 17th Schwerin Jazz Night 2026
With great tonal sensitivity and an unmistakable ensemble spirit, the international quartet AZOLIA has been setting poetry to music for years that moves, shakes and gives hope. Following the haunting program on poems by the British poet Wilfred Owen, the band now turns to a new literary voice: Rainer Maria Rilke.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the poet's death in 2026, AZOLIA presents a new program that dresses selected Rilke poems in chamber music that is delicate, airy and at the same time deeply felt.
The Belgian singer and composer Sophie Tassignon, the German-American alto saxophonist, clarinettist, singer and composer Susanne Folk, the German bass clarinettist and soprano saxophonist Lothar Ohlmeier and the Swiss double bassist Andreas Waelti draw on a wealth of experience and a common musical language that goes beyond the usual jazz clichés.
AZOLIA stands for clever arrangements, transparent textures, an unmistakable sound signature and a deep sense of poetry. Without drums, but with plenty of room for subtle interactions, the band tells of human longings, doubts and possibilities. In their settings, Rilke's language becomes audible anew - fragile, luminous and full of resonance.
The actor from the Mecklenburg State Theater, Jochen Fahr, reads the texts before they are played and sung by the band AZOLIA.
"...Azolia is a fantastic ensemble that unfolds its splendor in the ambience of an intimate club. Tonight the setting was perfect and so was the band!"
Geert Ryssen, live review on fullcircleblog
"...Words and sounds complement each other between light and dark, dancing and swinging, lustful, funny and haunted, gently.... brilliantly..."
Katja Grawinkel, Schönschrift
"The dark-colored chamber jazz can do without drums, but not without Tassignon's haunting, clear voice that shapes the band's sound, as the recently released third CD "Not About Heroes" demonstrates once again."
Andreas Felber, Radio Ö1
"...All the pieces by this somewhat unusual line-up are good songs in the best sense of the word!"...."
Stefan Pieper, Jazzthetik
Sophie Tassignon: vocals
Susanne Folk: clarinet, alto saxophone
Lothar Ohlmeier: bass clarinet, soprano saxophone
Andreas Waelti: double bass
Guest: Actor Jochen Fahr
Further guests of the evening:
Affair Béla B.:
'Bela B.' in the ensemble's name does not stand for the drummer of the Ärzte, but for Béla Bartók, whose music is the source of inspiration for the chamber music improvisation trio, some of whose themes are adapted and improvised in the flow of the composer's own music.
Nikolaus Neuser: trumpet
Ernst Deuker: contrabass clarinet
Martina Weidner: viola
In memory of Theo Jörgensmann
When: Thursday, 23.04.2026 at 6 pm
Where: Foyer of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Library, Johannes-Stelling-Str. 29, 19053 Schwerin
Further events of this year's Schwerin Jazz Night can be found here.
The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Günther Uecker State Library dates back to the Ducal Government Library founded in 1779 and, as a critical infrastructure, holds important historical holdings as well as a large collection of works from and about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has legally tasked the state library in Schwerin with collecting, cataloging and archiving the state's current printed works for the future. According to the state law and ordinance on the delivery of printed works, all printed products published in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern must be delivered to the state library free of charge within one month of publication. Titles about Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that are published outside the state are acquired by the State Library. The State Library is a department of the State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation. The old building at its location on Johannes-Stelling-Straße is now part of Schwerin's UNESCO World Heritage ensemble.
