Carl Wittig's Aurora Octet

As a rule, music is particularly inspiring when it doesn't just follow a familiar thread, but brings several together. In the best case scenario, this creates something new from something old.

Looking at the work of Leipzig bassist and composer Carl Christian Wittig, one feels confirmed in this assumption. The sound of Carl Wittig's Aurora Octet - the name of his ensemble - is rooted equally in jazz and classical music. And so it sometimes happens that the string section in Wittig's music takes off on improvisational flights of fancy, while the winds follow compositional paths. In this way, the US and European musical traditions, which are otherwise often portrayed as antagonistic, are brought together in passing.

Following their debut "Perspective Suite", Carl Wittig's Aurora Octet will soon be releasing their second album "Continuity and Resonance". The sound on it is sensitive without slipping into sentimentality and at the same time intellectually stimulating without indulging in professorial posturing.

In other words: music for the head and heart. Often invoked - listen to it here.

In 2022, Carl Wittig received the Young Jazz Artist Award presented by the Marion Ermer Foundation with support from the City of Leipzig. The award was presented on October 26, 2022, as part of the 46th “ Leipziger Jazztage ” festival, themed “Talkin’ ’bout my generation,” at UT Connewitz.
Following the award ceremony, Carl Christian Wittig took the stage with his ensemble, the Aurora Oktett, for a concert featuring the award winners.