“It’s all about the Jazz”

The Fringe Orchestra takes you on a journey through the Women in Jazz series, in which the most prominent female jazz soloists and composers take the lead.

Pianist Olga Reznichenko, appointed Guest Professor at the Jazz Institut Berlin and known from the Cologne jazz scene, stands out for her virtuosity, power, and complexity in harmony and rhythm. Her intuitive style ensures that she responds instinctively to musical stimuli. The urge to pound on her instrument with all her might—almost as if she wants to destroy it—is just as strong as finding pleasure in softer, quieter sounds. Her compositions also reflect her characteristic sense of aesthetics. Reznichenko’s pieces, which typically emerge from improvisation, give free rein to her unfiltered enthusiasm for musical expression. In 2026, she received the SWR Jattpreis and is performing with us at Theater Heerlen. The project with Fringe Orchestra focuses on pieces from her albums Somnambule (2022) and Rhythm Dissection (2024) and highlights several special songs featuring vocals.

Fringe Orchestra is the annual crossover orchestra project of Conservatorium Maastricht. Composed of top students and alumni of the conservatory, the lineup for a new guest soloist is custom-made for each edition. This is done under the direction of artistic director Jesse Passenier, who both conducts and arranges for the ensemble.

The past few years have resulted in crossovers between a big band, a classical ensemble, and an electric band, and Fringe Orchestra plans to continually reinvent itself. The orchestra feels at home on stage and shared it last season with the acclaimed Catalan trumpeter-singer Andrea Motis. Previously, this has already happened with Dutch melodic saxophonist Kika Sprangers, the inventive Belgian drummer Lander Gyselinck (known from the group STUFF), and the brilliant French vocalist Camille Bertault. In earlier editions, there were multiple collaborations with turntablist DJ Vindictiv, trumpeter Carlo Nardozza, saxophonists Frank Deruytter and Reiner Witzel, Bex Burch on the gyil (Ghanaian xylophone), and electronic music performer Paul Frick, showcasing a stylistic range from jazz and funk to world music, chanson, electro, and hip-hop. Fringe Orchestra dares, grinds, overwhelms, and inspires. The borderland is where it happens.

Prior to Fringe Orchestra with Olga Reznichenko, you can enjoy the Singing in Harmony project led by Nadine Nix. This all-vocal ensemble presents songs of diverse styles in a fresh guise using only the voice. After a thrilling performance by the Fringe Orchestra with Olga Reznichenko, you can continue to enjoy a solid jazz show by AM30, the trio led by guitarist Aleksanders Marinicevs.

These acts are not the only ones of the evening, so arrive nice and early and enjoy the intermission DJ Ananya Samit, also from the conservatory.

Photo Credits: Lukas Diller

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Schedule

19:45 – 20:15: Doors open
20:15 – 20:45: Singing in Harmony
20:45 – 21:00: Intermission – DJ with Ananya Samit
21:00 – 22:00: Fringe Orchestra conducted by Jesse Passenier, ft. Olga Reznichenko
22:00 – 23:00: After-concert – am30

Source : PLT Website