Pianist and composer Julia Kadel has been a consistently rising young artist in the European jazz scene. Growing up in Berlin, Kadel has been active in numerous international collaborations throughout Europe ever since. They founded the renowned Julia Kadel Trio in 2011, which has released four albums to date. The first two albums “Im Vertrauen” (2014) and “Über und Unter” (2016) were released under the legendary jazz label Blue Note under the umbrella of Universal. Thesereleases received widespread acclaim from the press and earned nominations for the German Echo Jazz Prize along with winning the HfM Jazzpreis.
The last two albums “Kaskaden” (2019) and “Powerful Vulnerability” (2023) were signed with the famous German jazz label MPS. “Kaskaden” marked another significant milestone as it was the first album recorded in the historic analogue MPS Studio in the black forest after 37 years of closure. This event received notable media attention with outlets like Spiegel Online covering the album. “Powerful Vulnerability” was produced at the well known Hansa Studios in Berlin, marking the debut album of the new Kadel trio featuring renowned musicians Athina Kontou (bass) and Devin Gray (drums). This concept album delves into the potential of fragility within a society that often encourages conflict over deeper connections.
“Vulnerability is one of the keys to more strength. Within it lies a power to achieve more stability and connection to oneself and therefore to others. I wish there’d be more spaces in which people could show themselves more vulnerable. This could prevent violence in many ways.”
Julia Kadel tours frequently and has performed concerts outside Germany in countries such as England, France, Italy, Norway, Russia, Lithuania, Romania, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Türkyie and the USA. The pianist has won several awards and grants for their characteristic music, improvisational play and compositions. They explore the possibilities of expression through their highly personal style and a conceptual layout of their compositions and performances to share their ideas with the audience. The open connection and exchange with their audience is one of their aims.
Kadel has collaborated with musicians such as Maria Reich, Günter Baby Sommer, Judith Wegmann, Rita Marcotulli, Robert Lucaciu, Leon Albert, Steffen Roth, Karl-Erik Enkelmann, Angelika Niescier, Julia Hülsmann, Thilo Thomas Krigar, Kid Be Kid, Sera Kalo and Luise Volkmann. Julia Kadel is also actively engaged in interdisciplinary projects, such as "How to Fail (Together)" with Australian conceptual artist Julian Day, Systemrelativism with installation artist Stefan Mayer-Twiehaus, performancesalongside dancers Beatriz Silva and Lisa-Marie Skalla, and music theater with Why Chiquinha?. The musical range of Julia Kadel’s music also includes new music collaborations with opera singer Corinna Ruba and composer / cellist Thilo Thomas Krigar as well as writing commissioned compositions. In 2020 “Équilibre - for violin and guitar” for the awarded Austrian- German chamber music Duo Karuna was premiered at Berlin Dialogues Festival.
Kadel’s art acts as an ongoing exploration and reflection of societal developments and discourses. Among a constant work in aesthetical aspects of music, they also see their art as a research for connection, collectiveness, love and spirituality. Kadel is committed to community work as a member of the new initiative Future Bloom, a festival network with an intersectional focus. In 2021, Kadel founded the Queer Cheer Community for “Jazz” and Improvised Music Germany, which organizes festivals to promote queer artists and spaces. Queer Cheer was awarded the Deutscher Jazzpreis 2023 for their cultural engagement.
Grants
Deutschlandstipendium (2013)
HfM-Jazzpreis (2013)
2 Nominations for German Echo Jazz (2015)
AMPlify Germany Artist Grant by Australian Music Centre (2017)
Initiative Musik Artist Grant (2019)
Jazz Pott 2020
Initiative Musik Artist Grant (2022)
Musikfonds Künstler:innenförderung (2023)
Deutscher Jazzpreis for “Queer Cheer” Community (2023)
Residencies/ Tour Support
Solo Residency at Muziek Biennale Niederrhein (2016)
Goethe Institute Paris / Lyon, France
Goethe Institute Budapest, Hungary
Goethe Institute Bukarest, Romania
Venues (Selection)
Bukarest Green Hours Festival 2021 (ROU), Jazzdor Strasbourg 2016/2021 (FR), Wien Porgy & Bess 2020 (AUT), Lyon Periscope 2020 (FR), French & German Embassy Washington D.C. (USA), Jazzfest Berlin 2020, XJAZZ Berlin, Hamburg Laeiszhalle 2020, Karlstorbahnhof Enjoy Jazz Heidelberg 2020/2023, Delphi Theater Berlin, Essen Grillo-Theater 2020, Piano Day Festival Elbphilharmonie Hamburg 2018, Philharmonie Essen RWE-Pavillon 2018, Sendesaal Hamburg NDR Jazz Concerts 2018, Jazzfestival Göttingen Deutsches Theater 2018, Vilnius Jazzclub 2018 (LIT), Bergen USF Sardinen 2018 (NOR), Paris Goethe Institut 2017 (FR), AjMI Avignon 2017 (FR), Jazzwerkstatt Peitz 2017, Istanbul Borusan Müzik Evi 2016 (TUR), Budapest Opus 2016 (HUN), Debrecen 2016 (HUN), Unterfahrt München 2014/2020, Bix Stuttgart 2016, Domicil Dortmund 2016, Jazztage Dresden 2016, St. Petersburg Dom7 (RUS), Überjazz Hamburg Kampnagel 2015, Bolzano Festival 2014 (IT), Boskovice Festival For Jewish Quarter 2012 (CZ)
