Big Band

The Big Band of the HMDK Stuttgart has been in existence since the 1970s and has a rich history. The former leader of the SDR Bigband, Erwin Lehn, founded the Big Band. Prof. Bernd Konrad, founder and long-time head of the Jazz & Pop program, continued this work until 2012. Since 2012, Prof. Rainer Tempel has been the artistic director of the band, with Johannes Lauer taking over in 2024.

The ensemble is dedicated to the significant literature of this genre in compact projects and, on the other hand, develops new music with students of jazz composition and performs it. The performing musicians engage with the specific characteristics of orchestral jazz. Through this work, and not least through its lineup, the Big Band is an important representative of the Jazz & Pop Institute at the University.