Johanna Summer

piano

Whether with classical pieces, original compositions or jazz standards she always manages to develop a wide, dynamic narrative, sometimes delicate and fragile, sometimes, tension-filled and rhythmically gripping or irresistibly melodious. At the same time, the listener never gets the impression that she is interested in showcasing as many ideas as possible, or presenting herself as a virtuoso. Everything happens in the spirit of musical storytelling, with an extremely mature, far-sighted view of dramaturgy, dynamics, tension and atmosphere.
Süddeutsche Zeitung simply calls the result "a little sensation", Downbeat magazine „a unique debut, praiseworthy in its pursuit of merging genres“ and Jazz thing magazine describes Summer as "a pianist of a very special character, virtuoso, subtle and filigreed". Jazz, classical music and free playing - Johanna Summer creates her very own music out of the moment, and it is a true experience to listen to it.

Johanna Summer never rests in comfort zones; for her, every concert and every recording feels like a new departure — and more and more people are falling for her nonconformist approach.

Johanna Summer never wanted to become a pianist - at least not a classical one. She did not want to play what others had written down, but to invent music herself. She does so with great courage and virtuosity. […] One must listen to fully grasp Summer’s music - but one can also simply surrender to it. ****

Johanna Summer is on the verge of a major international jazz career. […] A remarkable hallmark of her piano playing is that there seems to be no dividing line between composition and improvisation. Everything feels worked out, shaped, never merely tossed off in a flash of genius. It is astonishing to imagine how much is reflected upon, eliminated, elaborated and then brought to sound with such assurance on the way from the mind to those slender fingers. From an abundance of pianistic ideas, the most varied piano techniques, playful devices, impulses, an unusually rich use of the pedal, inspirations, traditional genres and gestures borrowed, for instance, from classical music, Summer creates opulent jazz compendia.