Niels Klein – Saxophone, Clarinets, Composition
born 1978 in Hamburg, Germany
begins saxophone playing at the age of 13, first public appearences at the of 15.
1996 1st price winner in the competition „Jugend Jazzt Niedersachsen“.
since 1998 studies in saxophone and composition at the Hochschule für Musik, Köln (Frank Gratkowski, Claudio Puntin, Bill Dobbins, Frank Reinshagen).
concerts with many different bands and projects w/ WDR BigBand, Jeff Hamilton, Toots Thielemans, Nils Wogram, Underkarl, Victor Bailey, Albert Mangelsdorf, Charlie Mariano, Bob Brookmeyer a.o.
1998-2000 member of the German Youth Jazz Orchestra (BUJAZZO) ; leader: Peter Herbolzheimer as 1st tenor player and composer/ arranger.
his big band compositions were played by the BUJAZZO, Cologne Contemporary Jazz Orchstra, Summit Jazz Orchestra, Jazzorchester Niedersachsen a.o.
winner of the „Jazzpodium Niedersachsen 2000“ Price with his NIELS KLEIN OKTETT.
Performances in New Music / Improvised Music with the Tippet Ensemble, Cologne,
in the „Klangkörper Schweiz“ (Swiss Pavillon at the Expo 2000 in Hannover) with Mike Svoboda, Ernesto Molinari, Joelle Leandre a.o., with the James Choice Orchestra, Cologne.
since 2001 steady member of the Band in the TV-Show TV TOTAL „The Heavytones“. With this band he played with international pop/ rock musicians as Lionel Ritchie, Anastacia, Busta Rhymes, Michael Buble, u.a May 2006 appeared the bands first album “heavytones no.1”
2002 festival appearance at „Jazzbaltica Salzau in the main-programm as co-leader with the quartet „FIROMANUM“ (CD on schoener hoeren music)
2004 winner in the competition „jazzart crossing borders 2004“ as bigband composer and soloist.
2004 he received the NRW- Förderpreis.
2004 Release of his debut CD „NIELS KLEIN TRIO“ with Dietmar Fuhr (bass) and Nils Tegen (drums) on Mons Records.
In June 2005 he put together his new Tentett for an studio-production of the WDR. This project was also presented on the Traumzeit Festival Duisburg, and the first jazzcologne-festival.
2005 Composition of a mass for choir and double wind quintet for the ensemble o:ton.
2005 he was chosen by the radio-station Deutschlandfunk as german representative in the EBU-European-Jazz-Orchestra for an extended tour in Europe and Canada.
November 2005 he was invited to the International Euroring Composers Workshop with Vince Mendoza. This was linked to a commission of a work for the Metropole Orchestra, Hilversum, Netherlands.
2005 he recieves the “Förderpreis der Stadt Köln” for Jazz and improvised music. (Horst u. Gretl Will scholarship).