The music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, reimagined for violin, bass and piano

Kindly note: Roland Satterwhite will be performing as violinist on November 13th.

Pianist Declan Forde, bassist James Banner, and violinist/vocalist Fabiana Striffler come together to explore the timeless music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Drawing from the full span of their compositional partnership, the trio brings fresh life to classic works through imaginative arrangements, spontaneous improvisation, and touches of classical orchestration. At once intimate and adventurous, the programme offers a deeply personal take on Ellington and Strayhorn’ legacy—honouring their spirit while reimagining their music for the present. Whether you’re a devoted Ellingtonian or a fan of genre-blurring chamber music, this concert invites you into a world of elegance, experimentation, and rich interplay.

Fabiana Striffler
German violinist and vocalist Fabiana Striffler merges technical mastery with raw emotional depth. Known for her expressive use of extended vocal techniques and improvisation, she treats her voice as a second instrument, creating richly layered performances that blur the boundaries between sound and song. Her musical language moves effortlessly between Jazz, contemporary music, avant-folk and experimental traditions, marked by an intuitive and highly personal approach to composition and performance. Striffler studied classical and Jazz violin at Berlin’s UdK and Hanns Eisler conservatories and has performed widely across Europe. Her compositions have drawn comparisons to Gustav Mahler reimagined in the 21st century—mysterious, radiant and full of unheard-of sounds. She currently lives between Berlin and Paris, and is celebrated for her unique voice both as an instrumentalist and a singer.

Declan Forde
Scottish pianist Declan Forde has been a key figure in Berlin’s Jazz and improvised music scene since 2014. His playing balances tradition with experimentation, combining lyrical sensibility with an appetite for sonic exploration. Whether performing solo, in intimate duos, or in adventurous ensembles, Forde’s music is both deeply rooted and refreshingly unpredictable, always underpinned by a sense of joy and curiosity. He co-curated the long-running concert series Practically Married with bassist James Banner and has performed widely with artists such as Han Bennink, Tony Malaby, Andrea Parkins and Jeff Williams. He also leads a trio performing his own compositions and collaborates regularly with singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni.

James Banner
British double bassist and composer James Banner is based in Berlin and works at the intersection of Jazz, contemporary music, improvisation and sound art. He is active as a soloist and bandleader (TEXTS, class-work), and regularly collaborates in ensembles such as Practically Married and Borage. Known for his rich, resonant tone and wide-ranging creative output, Banner is equally at home in intimate improvised settings and large-scale multimedia productions. He has performed across Europe with artists including the NDR Bigband, Max Andrzejewski, Vilde&Inga, and Rachel Sermanni, and his projects have been presented by institutions such as MaerzMusik, Beethovenfest Bonn, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. A passionate advocate for equity and access in music, he also works as an educator, podcast host, and organiser of international composition initiatives.