Elbtonal

Elbtonal: Four virtuoso percussionists from Hamburg have uniquely and refreshingly mastered the “creative crossover” of classical, jazz, and world music. With a dash of live electronics, a truckload of drums, marimbas, and vibraphones, taiko drums, gongs, and a variety of creatively repurposed everyday objects, this unique blend is the quartet’s “Hamburg Sound of Percussion.”

Elbtonal Percussion

Elbtonal Percussion has been performing live for 25 years, frequently on tour. The ensemble has toured throughout Europe, South America, Japan, and China and is a regular guest at international festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, JazzBaltica, the International Music Festival Stuttgart, the NCPA International Percussion Festival Beijing (CHN), and the Iwamizawa Art and Music Festival in Sapporo (JPN). Elbtonal Percussion has collaborated with percussion greats such as Trilok Gurtu, Benny Greb, Stewart Copeland, Alexej Gerassimez, and Keiko Abé, as well as with artists such as John Neumeier, Christian Brückner, Quadro Nuevo, and Martina Gedeck, and has performed solo concerts with renowned orchestras such as the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, and the NDR Choir.

Elbtonal and the film industry

In addition to their concert activities, the percussionists are actively involved in studio productions for the film industry. They can be heard on the soundtracks of the feature films “Kirschblüten-Hanami” (2007/Doris Dörrie), “Der Baader-Meinhof-Komplex” (2008/Uli Edel), “Pandorum” (2009/Christian Alvart), “Sein Letztes Rennen” (2013/Kilian Riedhof), and “Pets United” (2020/Reinhard Klooss). To date, Elbtonal Percussion has released ten CDs and three DVDs, and appears on numerous samplers and compilations.

Education

Furthermore, the four percussionists are actively committed to and involved in educational projects in the wider community, designed to both entertain and inspire: hands-on workshops, concerts for children and families, and school performances have been an integral part of the live concept from the very beginning. Special highlights include the self-created, composed, and produced musical children’s radio play “Tom the Drummer” (“Tom der Trommler”) for Sony Music/EUROPA and the “Kids & Teens Show – Boom!” developed in collaboration with AIDA Cruises, which was performed live on nine AIDA cruise ships from 2017 to 2019.