About this Event
New Orleans based German clarinetist, saxophonist and composer Susanne Ortner is equally conversant in jazz, classical music, and various ethnic musics.
The German Newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine states that she is “a musician par excellence, capable of moving you deeply.” Susanne is a graduate of the University of Augsburg.
Since her move to New Orleans in 2017, Susanne has established herself within the jazz community, and has performed – mostly in duos and trios –with New Orleans greats such as Tom McDermott – piano, Don Vappie – banjo/guitar, James Singleton – bass, Nahum Zdybel – guitar, Kris Tokarski –piano, Helen Gillet – cello, and many others.
Her most recent musical infatuation is with Brazilian choro, the grandfather of Bossa Nova, an exuberant and highly virtuosic genre of Early Brazilian music.
Susanne has arranged and composed music for many theatrical productions including “Mazel” by Amy Hartman,“Our Class” by Tadeusz Slobozianek, and "Die Weihnachtsgeschichte" by The Augsburger Puppenkiste . She appears on several CDs and has recorded the following CDs as leader or co-leader: “Last Stop Sehnsucht” (Susanne Ortner Trio, 2020), “Die Musik aus der Weihnachtsgeschichte" (Susanne Ortner quartet), “A Trip To America” and “Hot World Chamber Music” (Ortner-Roberts Duo), and “Khosn Kale Mazl-Tov” (Sing Your Soul). She has done book and film projects.
Susanne is the subject of the book “Living the Dream” – Für die Musik nach Amerika” (Wissner Verlag Augsburg, 2011), written by German Television journalist Helge Fuhst.
Michael Ward-Bergeman is a passionate performer, songwriter, composer and filmmaker. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, South America and Europe.
On accordion, Mr. Ward-Bergeman has performed as a soloist alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, and many of the major orchestras of the United States. He has performed at the international TED conference and has been a visiting artist at Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and numerous other institutions. Mr. Ward-Bergeman has been featured on the PBS television program Live from Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic.
His compositions have been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and others. He has performed on dozens of recordings and soundtracks to movies by Francis Ford Coppola and others. His arrangement and performance of "St. James Infirmary" with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble appeared on their 2016 Grammy award winning album, "Sing Me Home."
His current work focuses on the traditional brass band culture of New Orleans. He has produced a recording of some of its masters released in early 2020, to be followed by a documentary film later in the year. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Back Room at Buffa's, 1001 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, United States
USD 5.00