Benjamin Koppel Jazz Journey
Benjamin Koppel gives talks about his life and work with music – and you can always be sure that he is carrying his saxophone. He is known for his resourcefulness and his passionate commitment to music. It is also possible to get Benjamin Koppel out and give lectures along with his father, composer and musician Anders Koppel.
LECTURE THEMES – Benjamin Koppel
- Music from around the world
• Growing up with music
• civility
• Performance
• Composition and improvisation
LECTURE THEMES – Father and son
- The musical legacy of Carl Nielsen and Herman D. Koppel
• The musical collaboration between father and son
• Composition and improvisation
More about the speaker …
A saxophone player in the world
37-year-old Benjamin Koppel is the most award winning musician of his generation and has, despite his young age mark as one of Denmark’s most talented and sought after saxophonists – both at home and abroad.
He has released more than 35 CDs as a soloist, composed over 200 pieces of music and appeared on more than 100 CD productions. He has been a visiting professor at universities in the United States and China, the former head of music at Jazzhus Montmartre and has over the last three years been a judge of the panelists on DR2.
Most recently, he published the book “Out of Music” Gyldendal. In 2000 he established music company Cowbell Music, and he is the artistic director of the annual international jazz festivals Valby Summer Jazz and Valby Winther Jazz.
As a musician, he appears both with international jazz stars, Danish pop acts and symphony orchestras in Europe, USA and China.
He has played with top international names as Daniel Humair, Peter Erskine, Randy Brecker, Chano Dominguez, Phil Woods, Charlie Mariano, Portinho, David Sanchez, Sheryl Crow, Larry Goldings, Bill Stewart, Lew Soloff, Kenny Werner, John Tchicai and Dave Douglas.
Of Danish top names include Alex Riel, Alberte, Moonjam, Hanne Boel, Sanne Salomonsen, The Weepies, The Joker, DAD, Michala Petri and the royal opera singers Inger Dam-Jensen and Gitta-Maria Sjöberg.
He has appeared on several legendary concert venues, including at the jazz club Blue Note in New York with his musical partner for several years, the Grammy Nominees American pianist Kenny Werner, and in Carnegie Hall in New York with among others pianist Nikolaj Koppel.
Over the past 20 years he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Jacob Gade Grant, Palestine Jazz Price, Holstebro price and Django d’Or Prize. In summer 2011, he received the prestigious French order of chivalry Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture for its efforts for the development of French and international culture.
