Witch ’n‘ Monk + Uli Schiffelholz - Im Rahmen der Clubnacht des Deutschen Jazzfestivals Frankfurt

As part of the Club Night at the German Jazz Festival Frankfurt

We’re pleased to present the group Witch n Monk this evening—a duo featuring British guitarist and singer Heidi Heidelberg and Colombian flutist Mauricio Velasierra, performing alongside drummer Uli Schiffelholz from the local Rhine-Main scene. Within the F.I.M.’s signature “interactive” format—solo, duo, trio—the musicians will perform in their usual configurations as well as in collaboration with one another.

Witch ‘n’ Monk is the duo consisting of Colombian rebel flutist Mauricio Velasierra and British soprano and guitarist Heidi Heidelberg. By combining a diverse range of instruments—traditional Latin American flutes, unconventional vocals, electric guitar, and custom-designed electronics—they create a sound that is entirely their own. The duo has developed an uncompromising, new musical language blending composition and improvisation that shifts fluidly between different forms. Radically distorted flute sounds, anarchic soprano vocals, and analog electronics blend with a jazz-punk hybrid of guitar and bass.

The essence of their collaboration is already reflected in their name: darkness and light, the feminine and the masculine, punk and romance, free form and complex composition. Exploring extremes and creating contrasts is fundamental to their artistry. Pushing the boundaries of genres—Witch ‘n’ Monk are celebrated in the worlds of jazz and contemporary classical music as well as in DIY and underground circles.

Their latest album, “OUTFOX,” was released in 2025 on FLUID FORM CLUB Records; they have also released a series of “singles” in the form of GPS-guided sound walks, which were featured on Bandcamp Daily. Their 2020 album “Witch ’n’ Monk”—released on John Zorn’s label Tzadik Records—was named “Contemporary Album of the Month” by The Guardian and awarded the German Critics’ Prize in the crossover category.

Uli Schiffelholz’s artistic work spans rock music, brass music, and classical music, as well as his work as a musician and performer in theater, though his heart beats strongest for jazz. In addition to his work as a composer and arranger for his quartet, he is the drummer for the Thomas Bachmann Group, the Bob Degen Quartet, the J-Sound Project, the group USU SauerISchwarzISchiffelholz, and the band led by saxophonist Eric Plande. From 2010 to 2018, he was a member of the Hessischer Rundfunk jazz ensemble, for which he also composed and arranged music. In 2011, he received the City of Frankfurt’s Jazz Fellowship, which enabled him to study in New York. In addition, he has shared the stage in various projects with musicians such as Valentin Garvie, Heinz Sauer, Markus Schieferdecker, Emil Mangelsdorf, John Schröder, Tony Lakatos, Wilson deOliveira, Peter Reiter, Jean-Yves Jung, and others.

Heidi Heidelberg (g), Mauricio Velasierra (fl), Uli Schiffelholz (dr)

Admission at the Box Office: 15 €, Jazz-Initiative members 12 €, Kulturpass 1 €

An event presented by F.I.M. – Forum for Improvised Music in cooperation with Hessischer Rundfunk – hr2-kultur and Club Voltaire