Michael Abene
is a renowned pianist, composer, and arranger/educator. He has been the Chefdirigent (chief composer and arranger), of the highly acclaimed WDR BIG BAND in Cologne, Germany since 2003. His arrangements are played worldwide, by big band as well as orchestra. His career takes him regularly around the globe, delighting audiences in concert performance, featuring his arrangements for artists such as Randy Brecker, Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Patti Austin, Mike Stern, Gary Burton, Dave Liebman, saxophonist Bill Evans, Kurt Elling, Eddie Daniels, and Tom Harrell. Michael holds the Chair for Jazz Ensemble Conductor at the KUG Jazz Institute in Graz Austria. Check out “Jazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital Age” – the new book he wrote with Richard Sussman, published by Oxford University Press – heralded as a necessary aid to study.