36th Vilnius Jazz Festival. 12-16 October, 2022

Reis - Demuth - Wiltgen

Luxembourg

Michel Reis - p
Marc Demuth - b
Paul Wiltgen – dr

Reis-Demuth-Wiltgen Trio, Luxembourg’s most up and coming jazz trio, is part of a fast growing jazz scene in Luxembourg. For many years, musicians such as Michel Pilz, Ernie Hammes and Roby Glod have held their own on stages throughout the world. Not long ago Vilnius Jazz audience has enjoyed meeting captivating young artists Pascal Schumacher and Maxime Bender.

Reis-Demuth-Wiltgen Trio has recently been travelling stupendous trajectories from Canada to Japan. In fact, the trio has arrived to Vilnius after touring Japan and China.

In 1998, while still in high school the three friends performed on a regular basis in and around Luxembourg for a couple of years. The trio reunited in 2011 eager to share their experiences and new compositions. Their self-titled first album was released on Laborie Jazz to widespread critical acclaim.

Each band member composes music for the trio, with the aim to create a fresh and forward thinking overall sound, one that is strongly influenced by popular music, but with a core sound that remains in modern jazz.

Downbeat Magazine has given out a big applause to Michel Reis as a composer, however also acknowledging his pianistic talent.

Michel began studying classical and jazz piano, composition and theory at the Music Conservatory in Luxembourg. To further his musical training, Reis moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. During his training in Boston, Reis studied, worked and performed with Joe Lovano, Danilo Perez and Dave Holland all of whom greatly esteemed his talent.

According to Jazzreview, Reis’ “place in the realm of jazz pianists is assured”. In 2005, he was a finalist in the First Moscow Competition for Jazz Performers. A year later, the pianist took second prize at the Montreux Jazz Solo Piano Competition. He has released five albums as a leader and co-leader, performed internationally in many of the world’s most famous venues and festivals, including the Knitting Factory, the Blue Note Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Olympia in Paris and the Casa de Musica in Porto.

Two years in a row, Michel Reis won the Export Artist of the Year Award presented by the Luxembourg export office music: LX. Currently, Michel Reis lives between New York City and Luxembourg.

At the young age of 18, bassist Marc Demuth won a scholarship for studying electric bass at the famous Berklee College of Music. He also holds diplomas from the conservatoires in Brussels and The Hague.

While still a student, Marc was entrusted with big responsibilities. He accompanied the World Youth Choir on their tour through Benelux, Germany and France. In 2004, he was selected to be part of the European Jazz Orchestra on their tour through Europe and Brazil.

In 2001, Marc won the prize of the best soloist at the annual Rotary Jazz Competition in Belgium. In 2004, he won the first prize and the public prize at the prestigious Jazz Competition in Avignon with the Pascal Schumacher Quartet. In 2010, his project with the Portuguese singer Sofia Ribeiro won the first prize of the prestigious Crest Vocal Jazz competition in France.

He has been working intensively with the Portuguese singer since 2003. The duo released CD Dança da Solidão. Sofia Ribeiro is also featured in the Marc Demuth Quartet’s CD ORIK. The bassist’s quartet involves vibraphone player Pascal Schumacher, clarinettist Joachim Badenhorst and drummer Yves Peeters.

Marc Demuth has been playing in many different European festivals like: Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Brussels Jazz Marathon (Belgium) and European Jazz Festival (Greece); made festival appearances in Germany, Portugal, France, Poland, Estonia, India and Africa.

He has shared the stage with musicians like Michael Brecker, Kenny Werner, Slide Hampton, Jef Neve, John Ruocco and Phil Abraham amongst others.

He is the head of the jazz-department of the Music School of Echternach where he also teaches.

Percussionist Paul Wiltgen has earned acclaim as a musician with a unique balance of aesthetic and passion. Having graduated from the Music Conservatory in Luxembourg, he furthered his jazz studies at Manhattan School of Music in New York, learning from the likes of John Riley, David Liebman and other coryphées.

In 2004–2007, Paul was the leader of a New York band named The Paislies, which recorded an album. He was also one of the original members of The TransAtlantic Collective, a vivacious contemporary jazz ensemble made up of musicians based in London and New York City.

Paul has appeared alongside such emerging stars as Patrick Cornelius, Michael Janisch, David Binney, Miles Okazaki, Linda Oh, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mike Moreno and many others. 

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