"She is a musical force with scary potential" - All about Jazz

German Jazz pianist, bandleader and composer Claudia Döffinger finished a master degree in Jazz piano and pedagogy at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (CH) as well as a master degree in Jazz composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (AT).

Claudia´s biggest passion is big band! In 2018 she published her first big band album „Monochrome“. Since summer 2021 Claudia is living in Cologne, composing, arranging and working a lot for large ensembles like the hr Big Band (D), Subway Jazz Orchestra (D), Spielvereinigung Sued (D), Jazzkombinat Hamburg (D),Big Band Zug (CH) and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra (FI).

She is founder of several smaller ensembles, like fourscape (experimental groove) and ELiNOR (acoustic Jazz quintet) with which she has toured actively all over the world and published many albums: 2020 the third album of fourscape ‚Better angry than sad‘ and 2021 the debut album of ELiNOR ‚von oben‘ came out.

Döffinger wants to move people through her music, either emotionally or physically.

Claudia was honored with several national and international prizes: she won the first prize at the Helsinki International Big Band Composing Contest (FL/2021) and was nominated for Deutscher Jazzpreis in the category ´best arrangement` (DE/2021). Further she received the Harald-Kaufmann-Preis and Startstipendium (AT/2018). She won the Downbeat Student Music Award (2017&2018/USA) and was honoured at the 3rd International Composition Contest Katowitz (PL/2016). Last but not least Claudia was one of the selected participants for the Metropole Arrangers Workshop with the Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway and conductor Vince Mendoza (NL/2015).

Since autumn 2022 she's teaching Jazz composition and arrangement at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (CH).