Reiner Witzel

The versatile and internationally acclaimed saxophonist Reiner Witzel has been a strong and active voice in the international music scene for many years.

Productions/concerts with Richie Beirach, Dave Liebman, Alex Sipiagin, Dave Kikoski, Lew Soloff, Adam Holzman, Mark Egan, Craig Harris, Maceo Parker and many others, as well as numerous own projects gave him a great international reputation. He played worldwide at festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montevideo Jazz Festival, Canarias Islands Jazz Festival, Yaounde Jazz Festival and many more.

With his longtime musical partner, the legendary American pianist Richie Beirach and his bands "Witzel`s Venue" and "Drei im roten Kreis" with guests such as David Sanborn, Vernon Reid and Lew Soloff he released numerous CDs , which made it into the English and Japanese jazz charts. He also composed numerous pieces for theater and television.

After many productions with stars like The Supremes, Third World, Fela Kuti, Udo Lindenberg, Defunkt, Roger Cicero and many others, he also has many fans in the pop and world music scene.

He has received numerous awards, including a scholarship from the German Ministry of Culture and the "Hennessy Jazz Award“.

A former student of the „Musikhochschule Köln“ and the „Manhattan School of Music“, he is now a lecturer in saxophone and ensemble at the „Conservatorium Maastricht“ and the "Musikhochschule Düsseldorf“. In addition, he is a workshop lecturer in demand worldwide.