WDR Jazz Young Talent Award 

This year’s Young Talent Award goes to the Big Band of the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Cologne, conducted by Marcus Bartelt. The jazz orchestra consists of students from the fields of music, aesthetic education, and music education, and performs at a high level. Over the course of its more than 40-year history, the ensemble has developed a broad repertoire. In addition to classic jazz from the swing era and Latin jazz, it also encompasses contemporary styles and is continually expanding. “With its Jazz Award, Westdeutscher Rundfunk has been honoring the top-tier quality of the regional scene for over 20 years. At the same time, however, it also underscores the importance of education and young talent—and thus the future of jazz in North Rhine-Westphalia,” said WDR 3 Program Director Matthias Kremin. Award Ceremony The award ceremony will take place during a gala on Friday, March 27, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Festhalle Viersen. Host Götz Alsmann will guide the evening, which will feature performances by the Young Big Band, award winner Hanno Busch, and the WDR Big Band under the direction of Jörg Achim Keller. Tour: WDR Big Band with Hanno Busch 

• March 25, 8 p.m. – WDR Funkhaus, Cologne

• March 26, 8 p.m. – Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, Gelsenkirchen

• March 27, 7 p.m. – Festhalle Viersen (Gala)

The special guest at all concerts is the Wuppertal-based singer Anna.Luca. 

The award ceremony on March 27 will be broadcasted live starting at 8:03 p.m. on the radio program WDR 3 Konzert. Additionally, there will be a livestream on the WDR 3 app, at wdr3.de, on the WDR Big Band website, as well as on Facebook and YouTube. On March 29, WDR Television will broadcast the highlights of the award-winners’ concert. WDR Jazz Prize 

The WDR Jazz Prize honors musicians whose work or life is centered in North Rhine-Westphalia. The jury consists of event organizers and key figures from the North Rhine-Westphalia jazz scene, the WDR 3 jazz editorial team, and the WDR Big Band. Partners of the 2026 WDR Jazz Prize are the City of Viersen and PublicJazz Events. Further information on the winners of the WDR Jazz Prize can be found here, at wdr3.de, and by calling the WDR 3 service hotline: 0221 / 56789333. Photos are available at www.ard-foto.de. WDR Communications Phone: 0221 220 7100 Email: kommunikation@wdr.de Visit the WDR Press Lounge: www.presse.wdr.de 

Text: Westdeutscher Rundfunk Cologne