Next week, Swarthmore welcomes back renowned jazz musician and former Visiting Cornell Professor Hans Lüdemann to perform Collisione Mondiale: Songs from Inner and Outer Space  as part of the Cooper Series. Lüdemann’s group Atlantic 7 brings together musicians of different disciplines from all around the world, who will be performing a concert in the Lang Concert Hall on March 1 at 8 PM. He will also be holding a vocal and piano workshop on Wednesday, February 26 with singer Tamara Lukasheva, and a drums and percussion workshop with balafon master Aly Keïta and drummer Christian Thomé on Friday, February 28. Finally, Lüdemann will play a solo piano Lunch Hour Concert in Parrish Parlor at 12:30 PM on Monday, February 24.

Hans Lüdemann is a long-time friend of the Swarthmore community who has held visiting professorships twice before at the College. For this Cooper Series, he has put together a world premier concert exclusively created for Swarthmore. His collaborations with musicians from different backgrounds has resulted in a unique blend of African, American, and European influences in his work that pushes the boundaries of jazz and classical music.

The culmination of Lüdemann’s visit is the concert scheduled on March 1. It will feature Lüdemann performing alongside his band Atlantic 7. The group features American violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Nick Dunston, and saxophonist Bobby Zankel. The ensemble also includes African balafon master Aly Keïta, German drummer Christian Thomé, and Ukrainian singer Tamara Lukesheva — a mixed group specially put together for the occasion. “A highlight of this concert is the incredibly wide range of musical traditions and influences that have shaped our performance,”  Lüdemann noted. “These are all world class performers who have performed in many different countries and have brought their style of music to new heights.”

The selection of works curated for Collisione Mondiale reflects this blend of ideas, with pieces ranging from sections of an opera written by Lüdemann to rhythmic and percussive jazz performances. “I see my music as being a reflection of the time,”Lüdemann said. “It both captures the anxieties of difficulties we go through and the joys of experiences in the world. It’s a kind of music of today, not just traditional jazz.” The concert is about taking modern jazz to places that it has yet to go, and through the performance at Swarthmore, Lüdemann and his ensemble hope to bring students to a new “outer space.”

Lüdemann’s creative and inclusive style of performance and composition is exemplified in his approach to incorporating different influences in his work and teaching. “There are African influences, classical influences from my background in European music, improvisational components from jazz,” he mused. “It is a very universal approach.”

Lüdemann reflected on how it felt to be back at Swarthmore. “I love being in touch with the Swarthmore students,” he said. “My memories of being here are very positive and I think it was a great time learning and teaching while I was here.” He noted the stimulating atmosphere that students cultivated during that time. “I found myself learning just as much, if not more than the students,” he laughed, “and it’s made me want to come back and work with them again.” Lüdemann was on campus in October for class visits in preparation for this event. “When I came it was so much fun to be in class and get into great discussions with these students,” he said. “I will be greatly looking forward to next week since I will also be doing some class visits to the German class, philosophy classes, and some music classes.”

To Lüdemann, the most special part of these engagements is the remarkable dialogue he’s able to have with students. Director of the Swarthmore College Jazz Ensemble, Andrew Neu, invited him to join a Jazz Ensemble rehearsal. Lüdemamn brought with him his original piece “Three Characters”. “[‘Three Characters’] involves collective improvisation and collective interplay in the band,” Lüdemann said. “It’s a little outside the standard big band jazz repertoire, which I’m sure the students will find interesting to engage with.”

Hans Lüdemann & Atlantic 7 premiere Collisione Mondiale: Songs from Inner and Outer Space March 1 at 8 PM in the Lang Music Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public.