Christian Felix Benning, Multi-percussionist from Dachau, Germany took his first drum lessons at the age of three and immediately decided to become a percussionist. At 13, he was Germany’s youngest precollege student for percussion at the HMTM, studying with Dr. Peter Sadlo, Adel Shalaby and Arnold Riedhammer, winning international competitions, and finishing his Bachelor of Music with special distinction. Beyond his career in classical musical, he has been collaborating with Dirk Nowitzki’s mentor Holger Geschwindner since 2018 on an interdisciplinary project combining percussion with basketball. Benning performances include concerts at the Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), Beethoven-Haus (Bonn), and Century Park (Shanghai, China).

Sound is perceived by living beings on our planet in many different ways. Plants also react to different waveforms and are significantly influenced by them. The two musicians Rubin and Niklas worked intensively on the biorhythms of plant species from the area of Nantesbuch and recorded them in April, 2024. These otherwise inaudible processes can be experienced in a unique piano composition. The sound installation is intended to create a new form of communication between plants and people and, through musical collaboration, to deepen our awareness of the interactions and emotional understanding of our natural environment. As part of nature, humans as listeners, collaborators and curators have a decisive influence on the duration of the impact of the sounds of endangered species on themselves and others.

Rubin Henkel is a German-Canadian sound artist and composer for film and media who grew up in Cologne. His early introduction to music began at the age of 6 when he started playing the piano. Through his work on film music, he developed his passion for melodies. Through lessons at the Jazzhouse School in Cologne, he improved his improvisational talent to strengthen the structure of his compositions and maintain listeners' interest while improvising. Rubin's work can be heard in films and exhibitions.

Niklas Bolten is a German documentary film and media producer who grew up in Düsseldorf and learned to play the drums at an early age. He played in various youth orchestras and musicals before increasingly specializing in the rhythms and connections of image and sound in short documentaries. In collaboration with various international musicians, his fascination with the creation process of making music and improvising was nurtured. Niklas works in the background in the field of music psychology.

Maximilian Höcherl is a singer, lyricist and composer in both the jazz and pop genres. He studied music education and jazz voice at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. As a "multi-stylistic voice experimenter with charisma" (SZ), he performs regularly with big bands and various line-ups, sharing the stage with Bobby McFerrin, Willi Johanns, Pete York, Tilman Jäger and Christian Elsässer, and others. In ensembles such as "Ripley and the Talents," and the improvisation duos "Voyage" and "LOVEMEN," Höcherl is musically active in styles from swing to 80’s pop. As a member of the vocal band of the Theatinerkirche, his repertoire ranges from Gregorian chants to Renaissance and Romanticism.

Claus Reichstaller is one of the most exciting jazz trumpeters on the European jazz scene and director of the Jazz Institute at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. He was a soloist with the SWR Big Band Stuttgart in numerous productions, three of which were awarded Grammy nominations. He toured with the swing legends “Max Greger, Paul Kuhn and Hugo Strasser” and made his international breakthrough with the “Paris Reunion Band,” led by his mentor, saxophonist Nathan Davis. In addition to his professorship in Munich, Reichstaller holds workshops worldwide. In 2023, the “Slide Hampton Project” with Joe Haider caused a sensation.

Nate Carruthers + Óscar Mosquera + Edi May + Edi's Feet = Three and a Half. This international collective, made up of Drums, Guitar, Saxophone and Synth-Bass, not only presents an unconventional line-up but also a new unique sound. Playing a mix of Jazz, Rock and free-improvised music, this Trio promises an interesting sound world and lots of energy on stage. Be prepared, Three and a Half is gonna make NOISE!

Saxophone & Bass - Edi (Benedict)
May Guitar - Óscar Mosquera
Drums - Nathan Carruthers

https://linktr.ee/three3.5andahalf

Prof. Wolfram Winkel is a classical percussionist whose main focus is contemporary music. As a guest musician of the Ensemble Modern he has performed regularly with Steve Reich during concert tours across Europe and Japan. He has played solo parts with many European radio orchestras such as the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra and the BRSO, among others. At the University of Music and Theatre Munich, he instructs students in timpani and percussion and offers method classes. In additional to developing a rhythm studies course for his students, he also teaches chamber music.