The Köln Concert

The American choreographer Trajal Harrell was taken with The Köln Concert, an improvised piano piece by Keith Jarrett that became one of the best-selling albums in the history of classical music and jazz, and dreamed for many years of setting it to dance. The performance seeks a way for people to connect despite different languages, worldviews or identities. It reminds us of the need to be close to one another and respect and not forget the marginalised, the lonely, the addicts, the sorrowful —all those who face their abandonment with pride and beauty.

Harrell gained worldwide recognition with the series of works Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at the Judson Church and is now a regular guest on the international dance and visual arts circuit. The style of his pieces is unique, as they combine choreographic disciplines that may seem very different, such as vogue, postmodern dance, and butoh, through performances steeped in fragility and humour. Since 2019, Trajal Harrell has been the resident director of the ballet company at the Schauspielhaus in Zurich.

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