Jakob Helling
born 1990 in Bielefeld, Germany, is a composer, arranger and trumpet player currently based in Graz, Austria. He dedicates a big part of his work to Large Ensemble Jazz – in other words to his band, the JAKOB HELLING CONCERT BIG BAND, but also has a working QUINTET and a Band where he plays the Mellotron: the RIVER QUARTET.

In early years he studied in Bremen before moving on to Folkwang University of Arts in Essen where he got his Bachelor degree in Jazz Trumpet. Afterwards he moved to Graz, Austria, to study Jazz composition with Ed Partyka and Michael Abene that he passed with distinction.

Some highlights of his career were composition and arrangement comissions for soloists such as Bobby Shew and Jim Rotondi or ensembles such as Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Subway Jazz Orchestra in Cologne, Notes And Tontes Jazz Orchestra in Vienna or the Concept Art Orchestra in Prag as well as working with Maria Schneider, playing as Substitut in WDR Big Band Cologne and being two year member of Bundesjazzorchester (“BuJazzO”).

As trumpeter he was one of three finalists for the second trumpet chair of the Danish Radio Big Band in Copenhagen. As composer he recently was finalist in “Jazz Comp Graz 2017” and in “Neuer deutscher Jazzpreis 2018” in Mannheim.

After playing a short tour with his Jakob Helling Concert Big Band in 2019 he won the “Förderpreis” of Career Service Center at University of Arts Graz (KUG) as well as an honor price for outstanding alumni.