In the organizer's words:

Born in 1988, saxophonist and composer Johannes Ludwig has created an extensive oeuvre of compositions and recordings over the last 15 years, and currently has 20 albums of his own music to his name. His output has always been diverse and yet always characterized by an aesthetic stringency. From his electro-acoustic solo project to contemporary jazz ensembles, an improvising post-rock band, a sextet with two electric guitars and a produced songwriter project to the big band, he lets off steam without restraint. Big band has always played an important role: BuJazzO 2008-2011, co-founder of the Subway Jazz Orchestra (Cologne) 2013, guest soloist in the WDR Big Band 2021, lecturer in big band conducting at the HMT Munich 2020-2025, sideman in various big bands throughout Germany - the references speak for themselves. But at its core, Johannes Ludwig's music is all about musical depth and sincerity. No over-complex, over-inflated constructs, but melodies that give you the feeling of something familiar the first time you hear them, before they take an unexpected turn that has to be exactly the same and nothing else. Groove, earth and space for the individual voices of his fellow musicians are the core elements around which his music always revolves and around which a special little world is created.

The JUGEND-JAZZORCHESTER SACHSEN is a big band at its best. The ensemble, whose stage line-up comprises no more than 20 musicians, has existed in ever-changing formations since 1993 and has delighted both regional audiences and jazz lovers in Canada, Greece, India, Hungary, Israel and wherever else its numerous concert tours have taken it. The artistic direction is also constantly changing in order to give the young musicians, aged between 18 and 26, as diverse an impetus as possible. Jazz greats such as Ed Partyka (Switzerland/USA), Malte Schiller, Jan Schreiner, Janis Steprans (Canada), Milan Svoboda (Czech Republic), Jürgen Friedrich, Carla Bley (USA), Joe Sullivan (Canada), Rolf von Nordenskjöld, Marko Lackner, Al Porcino, Ansgar Striepens, Emiliano Sampaio (Brazil/Austria), Theresia Philipp, Steffen Schorn and Štěpánka Balcarová (Czech Republic) have conducted the band. The overarching motto is always "Think Jazz! Feel Jazz! Be Jazz!"