Banff Centre Presents: Jens Lindemann | A Tribute to the Trumpet Greats

As the first classical brass soloist to ever receive the Order of Canada, Jens Lindemann is hailed as one of the most celebrated artists in his instrument’s history and was recently named “International Brass Personality of the Year” (Brass Herald). Jens has played both jazz and classical in every major concert venue in the world: from the Philharmonics of New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo to Carnegie Hall and even the Great Wall of China. His career has ranged from appearing internationally as an orchestral soloist, being featured at the 2010 Olympics for an audience of 2 billion people, national anthems at the Rose Bowl and for the San Francisco Giants on Memorial Day, performing at London’s ‘Last Night of the Proms’, recording with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to playing lead trumpet with the renowned Canadian Brass and a solo Command Performance for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Jens has also won major awards ranging from Grammy and Juno nominations to winning the prestigious Echo Klassik in Germany and British Bandsman 2011 Solo CD of the year as well as receiving several honorary doctorates.  Classically trained at the renowned Juilliard School in New York and McGill University in Montreal, Jens’ proven ability to perform as a diverse artist places him at the front of a new generation of musicians. He has performed as soloist and recording artist with classical stars such as Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Angel Romero, Pinchas Zukerman, Doc Severinsen, Charles Dutoit, Gerard Schwarz, Eiji Oue, Bramwell Tovey, Kent Nagano, Lior Shambadal, Boris Brott and Jukka Pekka Saraste. Having recorded for BMG, EMI, CBC and the BBC, Jens is helping to redefine the idea of the concert artist by transcending stylistic genres and the very stereotype of his instrument by performing with “impeccable attacks, agility and amazing smoothness” (The Clarin, Buenos Aires).  A prodigious talent, Jens Lindemann performed as a soloist with orchestras and won accolades at numerous festivals while still in his teens. A prizewinner at numerous jazz and classical competitions including the prestigious ARD in Munich, Jens also placed first, by unanimous juries, at both the Prague and Ellsworth Smith (Florida) International Trumpet Competitions in 1992. Since then, he has performed solos with orchestras including, the London Symphony, Berlin, Philadelphia, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Beijing, Bayersicher Rundfunk, Buenos Aires Chamber, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Montreal, Toronto, National Arts Centre, Vancouver, Warsaw, Mexico City, Costa Rica, Bogota, Welsh Chamber, I Musici de Montreal, St. Louis, and Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center.  Heralded internationally as an outstanding artist, critics have stated: “He played with golden timbre and virtuosic flair” (New York Times)“, “a world-class talent” (Los Angeles Times), “it was one of the most memorable recitals in International Trumpet Guild history” (ITG), “performed brilliantly in the North American premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Concerto with the Toronto Symphony” (Toronto Star), and “he gave the virtuoso highlight of the evening with the Montreal Symphony”.  Based in Los Angeles as Professor with High Distinction at UCLA, Jens is also director of the summer brass program at the Banff Centre in Canada. Jens Lindemann is an international Yamaha artist playing exclusively on 24K gold plated instruments. 

With music as the foundation of his lifelong career, Pierce’s multi-talents have led to production and recognition from the Grammys to the Tonys and from New York’s Broadway to the world stage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games - which earned him a 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction of the Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremony.

He has worked with myriad artists including Michael Bublé, Robbie Williams, Céline Dion, Alicia Keys, Usher, Asala Nasri, Garou, Bryan Adams, Dee Daniels, Sarah McLachlan, Ariana Grande, Carrie Underwood, Nelly Furtado, KD Lang, Richie Sambora and Lady Gaga.

Dave has spent decades working on the Frank Sinatra Catalogue with the Frank Sinatra estate. This has led to his work as the go-to arranger and orchestrator to preserve the traditional sound of iconic American Big Bands in the music of Michael Bublé, Human Nature, Omar Kamal, The Offspring and Robbie Williams.

Not only a master of the American Songbook, Dave Pierce has delved deeply into understanding and learning local traditional music from artists and musicians around the world. He has earned awards and accolades for his fusion of traditional and international music for global events as varied as the Dubai World Expo, Canadian Indigenous music for Calgary Stampede and The Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies.

As a creative producer, his creative vision encompasses the entire show, from musical arrangement to the production of stage shows and audio/video content for everything from hand-held devices to enormous stage backdrops with stadium surround sound. His shows have dazzled more than 250,000 spectators annually at the mega-spectacle that is the Calgary Stampede Evening Grandstand Show. Complete with a cast of 300, fireworks above the city skyline, world class acrobatic acts and renowned comedians and headliners.

Though his reach is global in both live and digital spaces, Pierce finds his inspiration, his connection to the land and his love of music at his creative retreat and studio in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

Balkan-born and Vancouver-based recording artist Kristian Alexandrov is an accomplished, versatile and sought after pianist, drummer, composer & producer with a burgeoning list of industry honours, high-profile collaborations and lauded international performances to his credit.

Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, Kristian grew up in a family of musicians who revered and celebrated music.  At just six years old, Kristian was accepted into the prestigious L. Pipkov School of Music where he completed twelve years of intense, comprehensive training as a pianist and percussionist.  Kristian’s natural ability, extensive education, and passion for performance enabled him to tour throughout most of Europe before he was out of his teens. His ability to effortlessly move between different musical styles has earned him a reputation as a leading figure in Canada's music scene, where he has been active since 1995.

Onstage Kristian has worked alongside some tremendous and renowned Canadian and International artists, including:  Warren Hill, James Ehnes, Measha Brueggergosman, Jackie Richardson, Wycliffe Gordon, kd lang, The Tenors, Senator Tommy Banks, All Star Brass, Danny Nielsen, Order of Canada Big Band, Akaga, Tom Jackson and Decidedly Jazz Danceworks and Youth Singers of Calgary.  Kristian is a long-standing musical director and collaborator for acclaimed trumpeter Jens Lindemann & Acoustic Soul recording artist Shannon Gaye.  

As a featured and supporting artist, Kristian’s performance highlights include:  Seongnam Opera House (Seoul, South Korea), Beijing Exhibition Center Theatre (Beijing, China), Eilat Chamber Music Festival (Eilat, Israel), Sochi Music Festival (Sochi, Russia), Cancun Jazz Festival (Cancun, Mexico), Bansko Jazz Festival (Bansko, Bulgaria), Bulgarian Embassy (Washington DC and New York, NY), Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony (Vancouver, BC), Vibrato’s Jazz (Los Angeles, CA), International Trumpet Guild (Grand Rapids, MI), Benaroya Hall (Seattle, WA) Koerner Hall (Toronto, ON) and National Arts Centre (Ottawa), and Montreal Jazz Festival (Montreal, QC).  

Fuelled by innovation and artistic exploration, Kristian's expertise extends beyond performance into composition and production.  He has composed award-winning music for film, television, dance and live theatre, showcasing his talent for creating emotionally resonant scores.  As a recording artist, he has released two solo original CD's Funked Up Jazz and Akoustika, as well as Perched on the Edge of a Quarter Note, the soundtrack for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks touring production.  

As a producer, Kristian is known for his keen ear and attention to detail, working with artists across a variety of genres.  He's contributed to three Juno-nominated CD's:  Lauren Spencer-Smith Unplugged Vol. 1 (2020), Order of Canada Soloists Sweet Canadiana (2017), and Jens Lindemann and Tommy Banks Legacy Live (2016).  He's also a co-writer with Tate McRae for her RIAA gold-certified single One Day (2017)