Reiner Witzel

The Düsseldorf saxophonist Reiner Witzel has been one of the active voices of the international jazz scene for many years.
He studied saxophone in Cologne and New York , was a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Culture and received numerous awards , including the Hennessy Jazz Award .
Concert tours have taken him all over the world, and he has played at many renowned jazz festivals, including Montreux, San Jose, Odessa, Yaounde and Montevideo.
He released numerous CDs under his own name and with his bands "Witzel`s Venue" and "Drei im roten Kreis" with guests like David Sanborn, Vernon Reid and Lew Soloff, which made it to the English and Japanese jazz charts.
Concerts and / or CD recordings brought him together with musicians and bands from jazz and pop such as Dave Liebman, Alex Sipiagin, Richie Beirach, Maceo Parker, Defunkt, Fela Kuti, Roger Cicero, Udo Lindenberg, Third World, the "Supremes" and many others .
He composed music for TV and theater, among others for the stations WDR and ONE, as well as for the "Theatre Impossible" and the "Musiktheater Köln".
As a lecturer for saxophone he teaches at the music academies of Maastricht, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt.
In addition, he organizes jazz festivals , advises instrument companies and works as a photographer.