Awards
- 2011 “Creole Jazz Award”, national competition Berlin: winner (Cyminology)
- 2010 “Creole Jazz Award”, regional competition Berlin: 1st prize, best band (Cyminology)
- 2006 “Brunswick Award for Composition”, New York: 1st prize
- 2005 “Popcamp” of the German Music Council: selected for the masterclass (Cyminology)
- 2004 “Möbus Award”, Berlin: 1st prize, best band (Cyminology)
- 2003 “Jazz Award Tübingen”: 1st prize, best band (Max.bab)
- 2002 “Jugend jazzt”, Germany: 1st prize, best band (Max.bab)
- 2002 “Jugend jazzt”, Bavaria: 1st prize, best band (Max.bab)
- 2001 “New Generation”, International Jazz Prize Straubing: 1st prize, best band (Cyminology)
- 2001 “International Jazz Prize Biberach”: 1st prize, best band (Max.bab)
- 2000 “International Jazz Competition Ústí nad Labem” (CZ): 1st prize, best band (Max.bab)
Scholarships
- 2014 and 2013 scholarships of Initiative Musik
- 2009 and 2007 scholarships of the Berlin Senate
- 2005–2007 DAAD scholarship for New York
- 2004 “Kommandantenhaus auf dem Dilsberg”, three-month artist residency
Tours
Tours have taken Benedikt to more than 45 countries, including Japan, Iran, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Russia, England, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, France, Portugal, South Korea, the USA, Canada, Israel, Syria, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Brazil, Pakistan, Ghana and Venezuela. See also the gallery.
Collaborations
As leader and co-leader
- Benedikt Jahnel Trio with Marc Muellbauer and Owen Howard
- Cyminology with Cymin Samawatie, Ketan Bhatti and Ralf Schwarz
- Max.bab with Max von Mosch, Attila Muehl, Marc Muellbauer and Andi Haberl
- Das Kaktus 6tett with Susanne Folk, Ben Kraef, Johannes Lauer, Roland Fidezius and Jens Dohle
- Peter Ehwald + Benedikt Jahnel: Doublequartet with S. Caswell, J. Kittel, S. Braun, K. Wang, M. Aronoff and D. Weiss
- Matzeit / Jahnel / Sieverts with Friedemann Matzeit and Henning Sieverts
- New York Radiation with Matteo Sabatini, Felix Fromm, Antonio Miguel and Tommy Craine
As composer
- 250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven (DE), directed by Susanne Kessel
- Metropol Orchestra (NL), conducted by John Clayton
- Pophorn Big Band (FI), directed by Vellu Halkosalmet
- Max Frankl Quintet (CH)
- Männerlieder (PL): chanson programme by Celina Muza
As sideman
- Brandenburger Sinfoniker, as soloist under Enrique Ugarte
- Prana Trio New York (USA) with Brian Adler and Sunny Kim
- Matteo Sabatini Quartet (I, USA, D)
- Holger Scheidt Quartet (D, F, USA) with Steve Davis, Rich Perry and Anthony Pinciotti
Other artists
Rich Perry, Phil Woods, Ack van Rooyen, Johannes Enders, Charlie Mariano, David Friedman, Frank Möbus, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Manfred Eicher, Clarence Penn, Jonas Burgwinkel, Dan Weiss, Sara Caswell, Henning Sieverts, Gunther Schuller, Peter Herbolzheimer, Bart van Lier, Kate McGarry, Brandenburger Sinfoniker, Martin Stegner.
Festivals
Among others Montreal Jazz Festival (CA), Jazz Baltica (DE), Münchner Klaviersommer (DE), Jazz an der Donau (DE), Ústí nad Labem (CZ), Show of Hands (IR), Bucharest International Jazz Festival (RO), Sibiu Jazz Festival (RO), Patras Jazz Festival (GR), Edmonton Jazz Festival (CA), Jazzfocus Berlin (DE), Almaty Jazz Festival (KZ), London Jazz Festival (GB), Caracas Jazz Festival (VE), Enjoy Jazz (DE), Rudolstadt Festival (DE), Odessa Jazzfest (UA), SongXJazz Tokyo (JP), Morgenland Festival (DE), Akbank Jazz Festival (TR), Baku Jazz Festival (AZ), Brașov Jazz Festival (RO), Vancouver Jazz Festival (CA), Rochester Jazz Festival (US), Jazzfest Wien (AT), Faiz Festival (PK), Loulé Jazz Festival (PT).
Radio and television
Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR Fernsehen, ARTE, Hessischer Rundfunk, Radio Bremen, Saarländischer Rundfunk, WDR, Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandradio, RBB, NDR, SRF, BBC, ZDF and others.
Teaching
- 2006/07 assistant teacher at City College New York
- 2004/05 lecturer at Jazz und Rockschule Berlin
- 2004 tutor at the Berlin University of the Arts for jazz theory and ear training
- Since 2000 numerous workshops and masterclasses in Germany and abroad
Exhibition and film music
- 2013 music for the film on the exhibition “Bizarre Begegnungen 2” in Penzberg
- 2013 music for the film “Above the Clouds” by Nikki Niessen
- 2009 three piano pieces for the exhibition “Bizarre Begegnungen” in Penzberg
- 2009 6.0 Dolby surround sound installation “Connected Concepts – Poetry of Logic” in Vienna
Mathematics
Benedikt Jahnel holds a doctorate in mathematics and is professor of applied stochastics at Technische Universität Braunschweig. He also leads a research group at the Weierstrass Institute Berlin. More on his mathematics website.
