Johanna Summer

piano | Germany

Whether with classical pieces, original compositions or jazz standards she always manages to develop a wide, dynamic narrative, sometimes delicate and fragile, sometimes, tension-filled and rhythmically gripping or irresistibly melodious. At the same time, the listener never gets the impression that she is interested in showcasing as many ideas as possible, or presenting herself as a virtuoso. Everything happens in the spirit of musical storytelling, with an extremely mature, far-sighted view of dramaturgy, dynamics, tension and atmosphere.
Süddeutsche Zeitung simply calls the result "a little sensation", Downbeat magazine „a unique debut, praiseworthy in its pursuit of merging genres“ and Jazz thing magazine describes Summer as "a pianist of a very special character, virtuoso, subtle and filigreed". Jazz, classical music and free playing - Johanna Summer creates her very own music out of the moment, and it is a true experience to listen to it.

"A passionate jazz pianist who is absorbed in her own music" (FAZ), "makes you dizzy with happiness" (Die ZEIT). "A small sensation" (SZ). With her new solo programme Johanna Summer continues the unique concept that already brought her debut "Schumann Kaleidoskop" enormous recognition from the media, fellow musicians and the audience. With profound technique, influenced by classical music as well as jazz and impressive creative power, she improvisatorily plays the music of classical composers. Always new, always different. Whereas the previous recording featured Robert Schumann's "Kinderszenen," Summer's new recording spans a wide range: Starting with Johann Sebastian Bach, through Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Ravel to Mompu, Ligeti and Skrjabin. The result can only be inadequately described with terms like "jazz" or "classical". Rather: An unbelievably varied, personal retelling of the classical originals, marked by deep penetration. Or, as piano master Joachim Kühn puts it: "Johanna Summer plays HER music, with a little help from her friends, full of imagination and without category."

Johanna Summer (piano)

Rarely a debut album by a young instrumentalist has evoked such enthusiastic reactions as quickly as “Schumann Kaleidoskop” by the Berlin-based, award-winning pianist Johanna Summer. On the album she uses music from Robert Schumann's "Kinderszenen" and "Album für die Jugend" as starting points for completely free improvisations, thus creating completely new music with every run. The fact that Johanna Summer takes on the supreme discipline, solo piano, for her debut shows that she is an artist who never goes the easy way.
"Johanna Summers music is full of imagination and without categories. Coming from European classical music, with a wonderful touch, she has created something perfect and unique. Beautiful music from A - Z. A new star in piano heaven,” writes piano icon Joachim Kühn about his young colleague Johanna Summer. And piano poet Malakoff Kowalski raves: “Scandalously good. I am thrilled and amazed by Johanna Summer. An artist who seems to fearlessly pursue her own music.”

Johanna Summer (piano)

Manz and Summer are two of the most outstanding talents to emerge from the young German jazz scene in recent years.
As a duo, their dialogue is intimate, open and scintil-lating.
The saxophonist (b. 2001) has shown above all through his band the Jakob Manz Project that he is a passionate exponent of contemporary jazz-rock, playing “amazingly sophisticated, powerful, soulful-funky music with groove” (Jazzthing).
In partnership with Johanna Sum m er (b. 1995), he also shows his mastery of the quiet and the lyrical. German jazz icon Joachim Kühn admires his young pianist colleague, and is full of praise for her “music, so full of fantasy and beyond category”.
With Summer, nothing is ever done for the sake of surface effect; it is all about the storytelling, and her fully-formed instincts for dramaturgy, dynamics and harmony. From the very first note, it is evident how perfectly matched Manz and Summer are. A magic and freedom emerge in the way they play together.
Inspired by the spirit of discovery, they have the courage to surrender to the moment and be totally spontaneous, fresh and carefree in their musicmaking. Any flaws just become part of the charm. Manz and Summer's “Gallery Concert” is a musical prologue: one can still only guess where and how this artistic relationship, still in its early stages, might develop.

Jakob Manz (Saxophone), Johanna Summer (piano)

21.09.2023 AT - Hall in Tirol Gutmann Pelletsspeicher Johanna Summer
22.09.2023 CH - Basel Tinguely Museum - Basel Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
27.09.2023 LU - Luxembourg Philharmonie Luxembourg Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
06.10.2023 DE - Hamburg Halle424 - Verein zur Förderung von Musik und Kultur im Oberhafen e.V. Johanna Summer
14.10.2023 DE - Finsterwalde Kulturweberei Johanna Summer
27.10.2023 DE - Leverkusen Ev. Christuskirche - Leverkusen-Mitte Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
03.11.2023 DE - Helmbrechts Oberfränkisches Textilmuseum Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
11.11.2023 DE - Burghausen Jazzkeller Johanna Summer
01.12.2023 DE - Hameln Doubletime Jazz & Kultur Club Johanna Summer
02.12.2023 DE - Hameln Doubletime Jazz & Kultur Club Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
08.12.2023 DE - Ludwigshafen am Rhein Feierabendhaus der BASF Johanna Summer
14.02.2024 DE - Rheda-Wiedenbrück Abrahams Johanna Summer
15.02.2024 DE - Mettingen Draiflessen Conference Tagungszentrum Johanna Summer
16.02.2024 DE - Kassel Theaterstübchen Johanna Summer
18.02.2024 DE - Gernsbach Stadthalle Gernsbach Johanna Summer
23.02.2024 CH - Winterthur Stadthaus Johanna Summer
03.03.2024 DE - Mainz Kurfürstliches Schloss Johanna Summer
14.03.2024 AT - St. Pölten Festspielhaus Johanna Summer
06.04.2024 DE - Würzburg stahl.lehrmann - architekten Johanna Summer
07.04.2024 DE - Ettersburg Schloss Ettersburg Johanna Summer
20.04.2024 DE - Kaufbeuren Kulturring Kaufbeuren e.V. Johanna Summer
19.06.2024 DE - Berlin stARTfestival Jakob Manz & Johanna Summer
21.09.2024 DE - Bodelshausen Kultur im Forum Johanna Summer
11.10.2024 DE - Neuburg Birdland Neuburg Johanna Summer
17.02.2025 DE - Marne Kultur- und Bürgerhaus Johanna Summer