AROUND THE WORLD
A Musical Journey from Baroque to Jazz, from Anatolia to the World: Matthias Höfs & Tolga Bilgin’s “Around the World” is a colorful and borderless special concert project to bring to the stage that fascinating bridge that music builds between cultures. The concert features Matthias Höfs, – German trumpet virtuoso with a world–renowned solo career and one of the most prestigious names in the brass world, – and Tolga Bilgin, one of Turkey’s most successful solo and orchestral trumpet players and known for his extensive repertoire. A unique program of world music is presented to music lovers at this concert.

Program:
This concert program appeals to a wide audience from classical music listeners to jazz enthusiasts, and features a colorful repertoire selected from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, and Jazz periods, presented with an original interpretation that combines the classical elegance of a string quartet with the modern energy of a jazz quartet.

MATHIASS HÖFS
Matthias Höfs declared the trumpet his instrument at the age of six because “it shone so beautifully”. He received his musical education from Professor Peter Kallensee at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre and from Professor Konradin Groth at the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Höfs began his career as a solo trumpet player in the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra at the age of just 18, and has enjoyed the enchanting world of opera for 16 years while also a member of the GERMAN BRASS Ensemble, with which he continues to achieve worldwide success.
Since their first joint concert in 1985, Matthias Höfs has always displayed a pioneering spirit, writing special arrangements for himself and his colleagues that span multiple genres and continue to inspire the world of Brass. He has therefore constantly expanded the horizons of his instrument, either by collaborating closely with other composers who draw inspiration from his unique virtuosity and experimental taste, or by acting as a “trumpet ambassador” in the northern German state of Schleswig–Holstein, or by collaborating with instrument makers Max and Heinrich Thein.
Matthias Höfs, a professor at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre since 2000, inspires his students with his great enthusiasm, knowing how to convey his passion for his instrument. In addition to his extensive concert performances as a solo trumpeter and chamber musician, Höfs has released numerous solo CDs and made over 20 recordings with GERMAN BRASS. In October 2016, GERMAN BRASS was awarded the ECHO Klassik, one of the most prestigious awards for national and international musicians.

TOLGA BİLGİN
Tolga Bilgin began his musical studies in 2002 and quickly built a successful career. He was invited to the “Seminari Senesi di
Musica Jazz” program in Siena and participated in Juilliard’s masterclass program. Tolga received the jury’s special prize at the Premio Abbado competition held at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, and he has performed important works of classical music with such leading orchestras as the Dokuz Eylül University Orchestra, Concerto Barocco Orchestra, İzmir State Opera and Ballet Chamber Orchestra, and Yaşar University Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to classical music, Tolga Bilgin has also participated in jazz projects, playing with many well–known names – such as Fatih Erkoç and İmer Demirer. He has shared the stage with Randy Brecker, Furio Di Castri, Mauro Battisti, Stefano Risso, Eric Reed, Giampaolo Casati, Flavio Boltro, Emanuele Cisi, Nanny Assis, Andrei Kondakov, and Bela Szakcsi Lakatos.

Program descriptions

W. A. Mozart – Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K.384 (Overture)

Premiered in Vienna in 1782, this celebrated opera by Mozart is a masterpiece of the “Turquerie” fashion of the era. The overture and selections combine the energetic brilliance of the trumpet with characteristic “Turkish music” elements, such as Janissary–inspired rhythms. This arrangement distills the opera’s joyful and exotic spirit into a vibrant instrumental performance.

J. S. Bach: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29
(Sinfonia)

The Sinfonia from this 1731 cantata, originally written for the inauguration of the Leipzig Town Council, is a grand transformation of an earlier solo violin partita. Featuring two trumpets and ensemble, the work radiates Baroque splendor, celebratory energy, and immense technical brilliance, showcasing Bach’s mastery of orchestration.

J. S. Bach: Trumpet Concerto
“Typically, arrangements based on BWV 972 or BWV 1056 are employed, featuring the standard three–movement form.”
Allegro
Adagio / Largo
Allegro

Like many of Bach’s concertos, this work—likely adapted from harpsichord or violin originals—finds a perfect match in the trumpet’s lyrical and brilliant timbre. As a quintessential example of the Baroque concerto form, it highlights the instrument’s ability to navigate both virtuosic, rapid passages and singing, emotive slow movements.

Astor Piazzolla – L’Histoire du Tango
Bordel 1900
Café 1930
Nightclub 1960
Concert d’Aujourd’hui

In this four–movement suite, Piazzolla traces the evolution of tango through the 20th century, from its early days in bordellos to the sophisticated “Nuevo Tango” of the concert hall. Originally for flute and guitar, this arrangement utilizes the trumpet’s passionate and commanding voice to reinterpret tango’s inherent melancholy and modern drive.

Michel Legrand – How Do You Keep The Music Playing?

Composed by Michel Legrand, this iconic song reflects on the challenge of sustaining love and “keeping the music playing” over time. Through the breath of the trumpet, its soaring melody evokes a bittersweet mixture of nostalgia and a persistent hope that defies the passing of years.

Kurt Weill – Speak Low

A sophisticated jazz standard composed by Kurt Weill for the 1943 musical One Touch of Venus, this song speaks of the fragility of love and the fleeting nature of time. Its elegant, haunting melody gains new instrumental depth in this arrangement, capturing the essence of the lyric “Speak low when you speak, love.”

Turkish Trilogy

Blending the rich rhythmic and melodic textures of Turkish musical culture with a modern aesthetic, this work merges traditional themes with a contemporary ensemble sound. Moving from the deep echoes of Anatolia to modern urban landscapes, the trilogy is an instrumental synthesis of cultural heritage. Although it varies depending on the composer, the general structure is: Folk Spirit / Anatolian Echoes / Modern Synthesis.

Yunus Emre – Aşkın Aldı Benden Beni (Hymn)
Based on one of the most famous hymns by the 13th–century Sufi poet Yunus Emre, this piece tells the story of divine love and the dissolution of the self. The work’s modal (makam) structure and meditative atmosphere, combined with the trumpet’s lyrical expression, transport the listener to the spiritual heart of Anatolia.