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NICA live special 2026
NICA live special starts the new year on two consecutive days on 8 and 9 January
On the eve of the 15th edition of WINTERJAZZ KÖLN, the fourth edition of NICA live special starts the still young year with a novelty: all nine NICA artists will present their current projects and new music on two evenings. These evenings are primarily reserved for national and international specialist audiences. Interested listeners can reserve a limited number of free tickets until 5th January.
The collaboration between WINTERJAZZ KÖLN and NICA artist development has proven its worth in recent years. The three-day focus on the young, innovative improvisation music scene makes the start of the year in Cologne particularly attractive for a diverse audience.
In addition to the concert hall at Stadtgarten Köln and Club JAKI, the concerts will also take place in two nearby churches, Neu St. Alban and Christuskirche, both of which are within walking distance.
The collaboration with the churches located at the Stadtgarten is a change that has been cultivated since last year and pursues two main interests - on the one hand, we attach great importance to the connection to the neighbourhood and immediate surroundings, on the other hand, it offers the NICA artists additional opportunities to try out their projects in different environments and formats, even to compose specifically for them.
NICA live special was created four years ago as an expansion of the NICA live concert series, which takes place all year round on the last Monday of the month at Stadtgarten (even weekly in July and August). The concert series of the musician development programme offers NICA artists a stage for new projects, experiments and specially curated concerts for artists they appreciate and admire. As a funding programme, NICA artist development is not only strive to support the development of NICA artists individually, but also to strengthen the entire artistic network, which contributes significantly to the development of all musical potential.
On these two evenings in January, the nine current NICA artists will demonstrate their full creative innovative power and create an amalgam of diverse jazz, contemporary & avantgarde music, which will be shaped not least by the strong individual personalities of the NICA artists themselves and their companions.
NICA artist development currently includes Jorik Bergman, Marlies Debacker, Jonas Engel, Felix Hauptmann, Ray Lozano, Theresia Philipp, Stefan Schönegg and Emily Wittbrodt - more information about the NICA artists can be found here.
Bands and musicians involved:
8 January
Jocra Likra
Jorik Bergman - flute, composition
Clara Vetter - piano, composition
Pollon with Strings
Theresia Philipp - saxophone, clarinet, composition
Axel Lindner - violin
Axel Porath - viola
Elisabeth Coudoux - cello
David Helm - double bass
Thomas Sauerborn - drums
The Mendelssohn-Project
Annie Bloch - organ
Emily Wittbrodt - cello
Thomas Sauerborn MIRABELLE
Carlotta Armbruster - trombone
Nabou Claerhout - trombone
Lucas Leidinger - piano
Tabea Kind - double bass
Thomas Sauerborn - drums, composition
9 January
- etc.: Engel-Tuerlinckx-Comsom
Jonas Engel - reeds
Anais Tuerlinckx - inside piano
Bella Comsom - electronics, lights
RAY LOZANO
Ray Lozano - vocals
Lukas Berg Rohwer - MPC, live samples
Fritz Dinter - bass, guitar
Niklas Schneider - drums
Earth Tones
Akiko Ahrendt - violin
Emily Wittbrodt - cello
Stefan Schönegg - double bass
Felix Hauptmann PERCUSSION
Felix Hauptmann - piano, composition
Roger Kintopf - double bass
Leif Berger - drums
Debacker/Javaid: Convolution II
Marlies Debacker - piano
Salim(a) Javaid - saxophone
👉 Book tickets for 8th and 9th January 2026 here
Tickets are limited. No box office.