“Bechstein instruments support my musical work at the highest level. I’m impressed by their exceptional tonal balance and the comfortable playing feel. I always have full control over my sound, which is essential for creativity when improvising.”
Johanna Summer
Johanna Summer grew up in Plauen, Saxony, where she began taking classical piano lessons at the age of 7. In search of music that arises from the moment and can be played spontaneously with others, she discovered jazz. Shortly before graduating from high school, she decided to focus entirely on this music.
She completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Dresden. Here she came into contact with free improvisation in a course taught by free jazz legend Günter Baby Sommer. Fascinated by the immediacy of this music, she began giving solo concerts—initially based on the canon of the Great American Songbook, but always with an open and flexible approach to playing and without a predetermined set list. Gradually, she turned more and more to her musical roots and sought ways to place classical music in an improvisational context. Her first program, “Schumann Kaleidoskop,” dealt with compositions by Robert Schumann and was nominated for the German Jazz Prize in 2021.
Johanna was a member of the German National Youth Jazz Orchestra (Bujazzo) and is a regular guest at national and international jazz and classical music festivals. She completed her master's degree at the HfMT Cologne in early 2023 and currently lives in Leipzig. In January 2023, her solo album “Resonanzen” was released, on which she deepens the concept of her debut album and uses pieces from different eras as the basis for her musical storytelling.
photos © Gregor Hohenberg
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