24.01. | 29.01. | 31.01. | 04.02. | 05.02.2026

(All Performances were sold out!)

More Performances to be announced for May!

The idea for this project was born in 2023, inspired by a trip to Boston (USA). Subsequently, the arranger (Malte Schiller immediately came to mind) and another partner (the Oldenburg State Theater was enthusiastic about the idea) were brought on board.
After a preview with excerpts from the complete program at the GLOW Jazz Festival 2025, here it is:
a wonderful evening with lots of music composed by Weill and lyrics on the theme of migration.

MY SHIP – STORIES OF MIGRATION

(KURT WEILL – SONGS IN JAZZ)

Migration has been a concern for humans for a long time. We set out on journeys, emigrate, flee, and migrate for a wide variety of reasons. War, political upheaval, economic hardship, or the search for (more) freedom are just a few of the reasons that motivate people to leave their homes. Arriving in a new place is often fraught with challenges – foreign languages, unfamiliar cultures, and the loss of one’s familiar home. At the same time, arriving brings with it the hope of a better life and the opportunity to redefine oneself and gain a foothold in a new community. In the best case, migration leads to an inspiring exchange of cultures.
The emergence of jazz and the development of its various styles would not have been possible without the fusion of different (musical) cultures. It is thus exemplary of the potential of (cultural) migration. Kurt Weill, who himself had to flee Nazi Germany as a Jewish composer, experienced migration as a personal tragedy and processed these experiences in his music. Many of his works reflect themes of displacement, longing for a better life, and the search for identity in a world of constant change.
Weill’s compositions, which are melodically and harmonically close to jazz, such as “Mack The Knife,” “Speak Low,” and the title song of the evening, “My Ship,” were included in the Great American Songbook repertoire early on and are still popular classics today. For this evening, the songs have been rearranged and supplemented with contemporary and historical images, reports, and eyewitness accounts—a multi-layered and exciting exploration of the theme of migration.

Press Review

“The program at the sold-out premiere in the Exhalle comprises ten pieces. It is one of the most striking of the season. (…) The emotional world of the music is complemented by texts by Hannah Ahrendt, Anna Seghers, and Klaus Mann in a catchy and haunting way.”
– NWZ

Cast

A Collaboration with Jazzszene Nordwest
Project Concept and Coordination: Raimund Moritz
Music: Michael Hagemeister, Maximilian Hörmeyer / Maja Syrnicka, Agnes Izdebska-Goraj / Frank Goralczyk, Raimund Moritz, Oliver Poppe / Joe Dinkelbach, Christoph Rabbels / Petia Rousseva, André Saad / Senja Konttori, Christian Schoenefeldt
Arrangements: Malte Schiller
Narrator: Andreas Spaniol

Lighting Design: Olaf Brunkhorst
Sound: Benjamin Kurz
Video: Richard Schneider
Visual Concept: Łukasz Ławicki