Global Event: Magdeburg Cathedral Hosts Performance Featuring Three Organs and Two Saxophonists, Headlined by Gert Anklam and Volker Jaekel
In August 2025, organist Volker Jaekel and saxophonist Gert Anklam will embark on a world tour, performing a captivating concert program titled "Mit drei Orgeln & zwei Saxofonen um die Welt" ("Around the World with Three Organs and Two Saxophones").
For several years, the two musicians have been collaborating intensively, and their repertoire showcases a fusion of organ and saxophone sounds, highlighting versatility with three organs and two saxophones. The unique lineup also includes the Chinese mouth organ (Sheng) played by Gert Anklam.
The tour, spanning from late August to late October, will take them to various locations such as Ostseebad Wustrow and Barth in Germany. The program is designed to musically "travel the world," suggesting an international or cross-cultural repertoire, though specific pieces are not yet disclosed.
The concert will feature alternating roles, with Volker Jaekel focusing on the church organ and portative organ, while Gert Anklam plays saxophones and the Sheng. The collaboration aims to blend classical organ music with saxophone textures and possibly elements of world music, as demonstrated by the inclusion of the Sheng.
Volker Jaekel, a pianist, organist, and composer based in Berlin, has an extensive concert activity in multicultural projects. He has studied church music at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Halle/Saale and Kapellmeister at the Franz-Liszt-Hochschule in Weimar. His training in jazz piano includes studies with Aki Takase and Reggie Moore in Berlin.
Gert Anklam's works are known for vividly depicting various scenarios such as movement, dance, a dreamlike state, or the awakening of nature. The tour will also feature original compositions by Gert Anklam, including pieces from the 20th century and the 21st century.
The tour will begin with a piece by Martin Luther, a 15th-century chorale from Bohemia, and Johann Sebastian Bach. The concert will also include a piece called "The Hebrides," a concert overture by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
Volker Jaekel and Gert Anklam have given performances together in various locations, such as the UNO, Columbia University, and the Forbidden City. Their collaboration has been celebrated in numerous duos, including saxophone/Sheng & organ/portative and tango duo: bandoneon & piano.
The world tour will commence on August 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM in Magdeburg. For more specific details on the actual pieces performed or their collaborative compositions, fans are encouraged to visit the musicians' official site or concert program.
While Volker Jaekel and Gert Anklam's concert program, "Mit drei Orgeln & zwei Saxofonen um die Welt," offers a captivating blend of classical organ music, saxophone textures, and possibly elements of world music, their repertoire will expand to include original compositions by Gert Anklam, both from the 20th and 21st centuries. Furthermore, to fully encompass the global spectrum, audiences can anticipate an international or cross-cultural repertoire that will span from 15th-century chorale from Bohemia to pieces like "The Hebrides," a concert overture by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and original works by both musicians.
