PENG Festival | Ruji, SVM3, Carla Köllner Big Band

PENG Festival 2026
FLINTA* Jazz Festival | An event organized by the PENG Jazz Collective
October 2–4, 2026 | Maschinenhaus Essen

Lineup

Friday, Oct. 2
7:30 p.m. Ruji (Luzie Micha)
8:30 PM SVM3 (Svetlana Marinchenko)
9:30 p.m. Carla Köllner Big Band

Ruji
October 2, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. | Maschinenhaus Essen
With Ruji, Luzie Micha brings a quintet to the stage that focuses not only on the music but also on a shared experience that is constantly reinvented through its uniqueness.
Through her compositions, the Essen-based trumpeter seeks not only to unfold her own musical visions but also to create a space for the creativity of all band members. In their music, every moment becomes a fusion of ideas, as the band collectively explores new paths and continually presents the compositions in uncharted sonic realms. In this way, Ruji creates unrepeatable moments with a blend of groove and free improvisation—energetic and characterized by an atmosphere where dense soundscapes meet fragile, floating spaces.

Instagram: @luzie_micha 

SVM3
October 2, 2026 | 8:30 p.m. | Maschinenhaus Essen

SVM3 is the trio led by pianist and keyboardist Svetlana Marinchenko, blending contemporary jazz with electronic effects, groove, rock-inspired energy, and experimental influences to create a unique musical language.

The Moscow-born pianist moved to Munich in 2016, won the Steinway Solo Pianist Competition that same year, and subsequently served as a brand ambassador. With her trio, she has been active on the German jazz scene for several years, performing at festivals and in clubs, and has received, among other honors, the Kurt Maas Jazz Award and a Berklee scholarship. In 2021, she studied at the Jazz Campus Mainz with renowned musicians, and in 2026, she was nominated for the German Jazz Prize.

Her playing combines virtuosity, energy, and a spirit of experimentation with melodic depth. The trio, featuring Felix Henkelhausen (bass) and Oli Steidle (drums), transcends stylistic boundaries and creates rich, emotional soundscapes through improvisational interaction.

https://www.svetlanamarinchenko.com/

Carla Köllner Big Band
October 2, 2026 | 9:30 p.m. | Maschinenhaus Essen

The Carla Köllner Big Band performs the compositions and arrangements of its namesake and released its debut album in May 2026.

The program “not obsessed but kinda into it” blends modern and traditional big band styles with subtle pop influences. With her music, bandleader Carla pursues a

clear goal: to express and convey emotions—both strength and vulnerability. A big band offers her the ideal medium for this: powerful and energetic sounds on one hand, calm and gentle melodies on the other. The band members breathe life into Carla’s compositions and add their own personal touch to the instrumental solos in the arrangements. For this band, one thing matters above all else: having fun and enjoying expressive big band music.

Website: www.carlakoellner.de

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Tickets:

We’ve opted for a solidarity-based ticketing system—if you’re on a tight budget, you can buy a discounted ticket; with the solidarity ticket, you help fund the discounted tickets.

One-day ticket (Friday/Saturday)
Solidarity Ticket: 25€ / Regular Ticket: 20€ / Discounted Ticket: 10€

One-Day Ticket (Sunday)
Solidarity ticket: 15€ / Regular ticket: 10€ / Discounted ticket: 5€

Festival Pass (all three days)
Solidarity Ticket: 50€ / Regular Ticket: 45€ / Reduced-Price Ticket: 25€

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For more information about the bands and the entire festival, please visit our website: 
https://www.peng-festival.de/

The PENG Jazz Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Family, Children, Youth, Culture, and Sports of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Kunststiftung NRW, the City of Essen’s Cultural Office, the Regionalverband Ruhr, and Sparkasse Essen.
Special thanks go to KAWAI and the Maschinenhaus Essen.