Jazz enriched with the finest and spiciest flavors of an oriental bazaar

Sometimes, the real sensation lies in how tradition is reimagined. This is certainly the case with FisFüz, a German-Turkish ensemble that goes beyond the mere meeting of two nations and cultures. Instead, they draw on the entire Mediterranean region and nearly 3,000 years of cultural history as their musical reservoir. Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, and North African influences merge with jazz—ancient, medieval, and entirely new.

Since 1995, FisFüz has been playing “Oriental Jazz” at its finest! As winners of the SWR World Music Prize, they have captured the hearts of audiences at national and international festivals—from intimate stages to major festivals across Europe, North Africa, Tunisia, Iran, South Korea, Mongolia, and the United States.

In their mostly original compositions, the individual strengths of the musicians shine just as brightly as their brilliantly coordinated interplay: Clarinetist Annette Maye’s virtuoso improvisations are richly varied in tonal color, effortlessly shifting between humor and melancholy, night and day, cool and warm, East and West. A trained musicologist, she has performed with Turkish, Arabic, Moroccan, Italian, and French musicians, exploring jazz and klezmer. Now, she thrives in several projects where she seamlessly combines her passion for world music and her improvisation.

Murat Coşkun provides the perfect pulse on his frame drums with great sensitivity. His grounded playing alternates with virtuosic solo passages full of technical and tonal finesse. His frame drums enrich the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the ensemble of klezmer master Giora Feidman, and numerous jazz projects. His repertoire of percussive playing techniques comes literally from all over the world, making him an outstanding figure in his field.

FisFüz’s music has matured and evolved as a seamless whole, yet it remains vibrant and spontaneous. In their latest program—composed almost entirely of original works—they skillfully blend oriental sound colors with the distinctive character of modern scales, with the natural ease that comes from years of experience. Their creative use of diverse rhythms exudes boundless joy, captivating the audience from the very first note—touching the heart and setting the body in motion.

With their album Yakamoz in 2008, FisFüz not only received enthusiastic reviews but also earned a nomination for the German Record Critics' Award, winning countless new fans in the world music scene. With Golden Horn Impressions, the ensemble released its fourth album—subtly folkloric, groovy with a jazz-infused pulse, and as melodically and rhythmically multilayered as the city of Istanbul itself, an eternal bazaar of intercultural encounters between East and West. In 2011, the ensemble released its fifth album, Ashuré, in a remarkable collaboration with Indian-born percussionist Ramesh Shotham. The following year, the album Papillons emerged from an intensive collaboration with renowned jazz clarinetist Gianluigi Trovesi.

The following work, Mozart in the Orient, is an exploration of the Ottoman influence in Mozart’s opera The Abduction from the Seraglio—a journey into the past, yet strikingly contemporary.

Mozart’s famous singspiel emerges in a new light, interwoven with the refined sounds of Ottoman court music and the vibrant artistry of an award-winning world music ensemble.

Tracing the path of the tulip, the musicians embark on a journey through melodies, rhythms, and the works of captivating composers from different eras. The journey takes them from the Balkans through Asia Minor, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, before returning to Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine.

Duo FisFüz
Annette Maye – Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Murat Coskun – Frame Drums, Percussion