Tania Giannouli & Nik Bärtsch

Originally initiated by festival director Rainer Kern, two defining voices of contemporary piano performance are reuniting at Enjoy Jazz by popular demand: Tania Giannouli from Greece and Nik Bärtsch from Switzerland. Their joint performance also serves as the official release concert for their first duo album, recorded at BASF and co-produced by Enjoy Jazz. Giannouli is a frequent guest at the festival, where she has had the opportunity to explore a wide range of musical styles and continue her artistic development. Her international career has since taken off. It’s not just *DownBeat* magazine that’s raving about her blend of “Thunder and Elegance.” Joining her is Nik Bärtsch, who has been celebrated worldwide since his first ECM albums and is also a festival favorite. His “Ritual Groove Music” is based on minimalist and repetitive structures. It’s a fascinating sound that the BR describes as “both meditative and danceable.” In the dialogue between the two grand pianos, Giannoulis’s lyrical openness and Bärtsch’s modular rhythms merge into an inseparable unity.