With a "giant pants hatch" to your own house
After years of searching, the Zurich Jazz Orchestra has found a home in a central location. Managing Director Bettina Uhlmann and Co-Director Daniel Schenker explain how the new Jazzhaus came about and what it means for the big band.
Since April, the Zurich Jazz Orchestra (ZJO), founded in 1995, has been at home at Heinrichstrasse 69 in Zurich, in the middle of the hip Kreis 5 district. The building, which is located in an inner courtyard and used to be a craftsman's workshop, appears inconspicuous at first glance. Only the solid metal doors and the easily overlooked lettering "Jazzhaus" indicate that it is not a place to live, but a place where music is played.
Bettina Uhlmann took over the management of the ZJO almost 24 years ago. "All I found back then was an empty music box, 16 red music stands and some debt," she remembers - and smiles. But she was fascinated by the task and did a lot to establish the ZJO over the years. "It also took a bit of luck. For example, the relocation of the Moods jazz club to the Schiffbau. This gave our orchestra a suitable concert platform for the first time in 2000."
Few rehearsals, ambitious variety of styles
When Uhlmann joined the ZJO, it was still rehearsing in the parish hall of the Neumünster. "Although we were already giving concerts at that time, the ensemble was still rather informal," she explains. Subsequently, the director at the time, Stefan Schlegel, and she focused more on structures and insisted on punctuality. "That happened step by step and often through learning by doing," admits the Zurich native. And how does she perceive the ZJO today? "What impresses me is its artistic level. More than ever, the orchestra is characterized by its musical flexibility and wide stylistic range." Because the ZJO's resources are limited, this requires not only great commitment from everyone involved, but also a great deal of discipline. "We rehearse two to three times per project, for three to four hours each time. Which is not much." This makes it all the more important that everyone pulls together. "This is the only way we can and will be able to perform at a high level."
Daniel Schenker has been associated with the ZJO for even longer. The lecturer in trumpet and aural training at the Zurich University of the Arts was already familiar with the orchestra in its early days and conducted it several times on an interim basis. He is currently both a musician and co-director. He therefore acts as an intermediary between the 20 musicians and the American band leader Ed Partyka, who sees himself primarily as an arranger.
"One of my tasks is to relieve Bettina Uhlmann and help with the program design," explains Schenker. Thanks to his large network, he is also responsible for finding a replacement in no time if a musician is unable to perform. According to the co-director, the current line-up of the ZJO is ambitious, versatile and capable of playing a wide variety of styles - from Count Basie to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans to avant-garde compositions. "Our current program is called 'The Art of Arranging' and is specifically focused on bandleader Ed Partyka and guests such as trumpeter Thomas Gansch or vocalist and songwriter Ola Onabulé."
Joining forces for the Jazzhaus
Around seven years ago, the ZJO had to move out of its former studio community. As expected, the search for a new rehearsal room proved difficult. "We are a large ensemble, we need space, we are loud," says Bettina Uhlmann. A realization that spurred her on to find a permanent home for the orchestra. Knowing that finding a suitable and affordable property in Zurich would be full of hurdles. "But we were lucky enough to find a partner for our venture, the Stephan à Porta Foundation." Joining forces, they found a suitable property.
Although the project was, as Uhlmann calls it, a "huge gamble", it was agreed to take the risk. The foundation bought the building, but the Zurich Jazz Orchestra had to raise most of the CHF 1.6 million for the six-month renovation itself. They found what they were looking for from foundations and private individuals, and also received support from the city and the canton. However, the ensemble does not reside in the Jazzhaus for free, which is why the ZJO is currently looking for subtenants.
The heart of the new domicile is the 80 square meter rehearsal room, which is more than five meters high and has excellent acoustics. A separate entrance leads to the upper floor, where there is an office space and two smaller rehearsal rooms that exude the smell of newness and spruce wood. Bettina Uhlmann notes that the musicians still have to get used to the surroundings. At the same time, she is convinced that the new neighborhood will also lead to new cultural encounters.
