Jazzfest Bonn

DW: Mr Materna, this year marks the fifth Jazzfest Bonn. Looking back to 2010, how hard was it to establish a new festival in this region given those already held in Leverkusen and Moers?

Peter Materna: It was neither easy nor difficult. I didn't look to Moers or Leverkusen for ideas. It was important to me that we start something that had never existed in this form in Bonn before, and I had the feeling that Bonn really wanted it. Personally, I had always found it a pity that there was no jazz festival in Bonn. I held talks with several people - including the head of cultural affairs for the city of Bonn, and it was suggested that I develop a concept, which ultimately led to Jazzfest.

How important are sponsors and media partners such as DW?

Partners play a vital role. The sponsors cover the cost of around 70 percent of the festival, and the rest is financed by ticket sales. We are lucky to have more than 20 sponsors and partners, and media organizations are generally very important. DW, for example, gives us an international presence. I consider it very important that a format which enjoys great regional success, should be shown further afield.

Since its inception, Jazzfest Bonn has repeatedly managed to secure big-name German jazz artists and international stars. This year, you have Dianne Reeves playing at the opening concert on May 22. You clearly believe in this mix, and are open to new styles of jazz, which almost sounds like a philosophy as opposed to "just" a concept. What is the background to this strategy?

I want to use double concerts in a single evening to unite established, well-known stars with lesser-known, contrasting artists. The idea is to offer listeners something new and surprising, to expose them to the range within jazz, and to show artists that are pretty much on par in terms of quality, but who enjoy varying levels of success. It really pleases me when I hear that unknown artists are just as popular with the audience as the stars.

The fact that we have three international superstars in our line-up this year could be testimony to our continual striving for quality. We - and I, in particular, as artistic director - have always tried to find and secure top quality artists. And the knock-on effect is that superstars take us seriously and are happy to join us. Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter and Nils Petter Molvær generally only play at major international festivals, but now they are coming to us.

Let's take a look at the 2014 program. What is on offer this year?

At the fifth Jazzfest, we have a number of artists I have had my eye on for a long time: pianists Julia Hülsmann and Florian Weber, saxophonist Roger Hanschel, and Rolf and Joachim Kühn. I wanted to have as many great German jazz musicians as possible, which is why the festival is three days longer this year than it was in 2013. We have 21 groups this time round, and have opened ourselves to related genres such as electronica and classical with the Matthew Herbert Big Band and Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra, respectively.

This time you are also cooperating with Electronic Beats. What can audiences expect from that?

On that evening, the program will be wide-ranging. On the one hand, we have a star of electronic music, Matthew Herbert - who is bringing his big band to create a bridge to jazz. And on the other, we have Wayne Shorter with his quartet, and who, at over 80, is at the pinnacle of his popularity. He is a living legend and fills vast halls. He is perhaps the most important living jazz saxophonist, still works in a very innovative fashion, and is a role model for many musicians.

Are tickets still available for all those jazz fans whose interest you have stirred?

I believe the Wayne Shorter concert is already sold out, but there are still tickets for Nils Petter Molvær and for Trio Elf and Le Bang Bang on May 31 at the Telekom Forum.

Jazz saxophonist Peter Materna initiated the Jazzfest Bonn, and has been its artistic and managing director since 2010. When he was commissioned to compose a piece by the International Beethoven Foundation in 1998, Materna explored the boundary between classical and jazz. At that time, he and his trio were important figures in chamber jazz. 2006 marked the release of the CD "3" (CMR/ timelock) and in 2010, his album "The Dancer" (Enja) came out. His current album "Colours of Spring" features musicians Florian Weber and Henning Sieverts (Enja).