Whispers of the River and Murmurs of the Floodplains

Episode 1 of the Young People’s Concerts 2026/27 | For children aged 3 and over, and the whole family!

... with the Dresden Big Band

Hey, you. – Yes, you! Hi there! – Have we met before?
I’m Maria Papillon, the dazzling swallowtail butterfly with the tiniest French accent and an even tinier sweet tooth. (Well, maybe not quite so tiny.) I also love music and adventure just as much!

We’ve found my Phantasialocum and now we’ve got a new, exciting season ahead of us. Have you ever heard of the river that connects us? Or the thread that holds a story together? Do you sometimes dream of adventures in the depths of the sea or the infinite expanses of space? I certainly do, and I want to build bridges to all these mysterious places.

An old friend once said to me: “In our imagination lies the power to overcome boundaries.”
Let’s give it a go! This is going to be a proper series of exploratory concerts! Together with you, your friends and mine, and with lots of guests from the worlds of drama, musical theatre, dance and the boundless realm of music, an exploration like this is where the real fun begins!


Are you in?

About the Dresden Big Band

The Dresden Big Band – yes, it’s something special!

On the one hand, it’s a young, cool band that will be focusing primarily on its own music – and thus its own sound – in future, without, however, neglecting traditional big band music. A mix, then, of swing, funk, soul, Latin, hip hop and ‘whatever else comes our way!’
Secondly, the Dresden Big Band is a collaboration between two high-calibre music education institutions in the city of Dresden: the Heinrich Schütz Conservatoire, where the band has its roots, and the Saxon State Grammar School for Music. This is a first of its kind and certainly provides a solid foundation on which to build on the successes of recent years (several first and second places in international competitions). Just recently, the band won the ‘Škoda Jazz Prize’
at the national ‘Jugend jazzt’ competition.

The Dresden Big Band is led by the musician and composer Michael Winkler, who, through his compositions and arrangements, but also through his unique approach, has played a key role in the band’s development (not only musically) and who also enjoys enriching the whole experience with his commentary during concerts. (www.michawinkler.de)

The Dresden Big Band can be seen at regular concerts. These include performances at the ‘Kulturzentrum Scheune’, occasionally at the ‘Groovestation’, at major events such as the Dresden Dixieland Festival, as well as at various folk and street festivals.

Incidentally, they play in the classic line-up (four-piece section) with 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones and a rhythm section (piano, bass, guitar, drums). It gets really great when the singers join in too – but why not have a listen for yourselves!

We look forward to seeing you!

Photo of the Dresden Big Band: H.J. Maquet