© Dirk Baierlipp

"(...) is considered one of the greatest German jazz talents of recent years."
- Ssirus W. Pakzad (BR-Jazztime, 2022)

"(...) A name to remember! (...) an outstanding music writer, endowed with compositional talent and a penchant for harmonic sophistication (...) He creates a backdrop that (...) keeps the music constantly pulsating - sometimes with the restraint of a metrical alliterator, sometimes with the orchestral fullness of a rhythmic driver and always with the competence of a confident, prudent time signature. "
- Michael Sturm (Jazz Podium, 2022)

"(...) Ability to simultaneously abstract what is being played with commentary, without letting anything slip out of the rhythmic net."
- Ralf Dombrowski (Jazzzeitung, 2021)

"(...) impulsive detail by drummer Jonas Sorgenfrei, who confidently reclaims the fumbling of the current Lillinger school into a sonorous beat."
- Ralf Dombrowski (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2021)

"(...) a drummer who never just plays the time. (...) acting colorfully and melodiously (...) holding the strings in his hand with carefree ease and differentiating the ensemble sound like a conductor giving impulses."
- Harry Schmidt (Jazzthetik, 2021)

"(...) He feels comfortable as a weaver of textures, casually focused in the use of many details that only become apparent upon close listening, but in this way allow the music to develop its balance of characters. (...)"
- Ralf Dombrowski (Jazzthing, 2021)

"(...) fine-nerved, extremely agile, but never obtrusive, wonderfully pulsating playing of the band leader Sorgenfrei (...)"
- Ursus Bachthaler (2021)

"(...) characteristic of his style are incredibly loose transitions from restrained time signatures to orchestral wide-screen sound."
- Jochim Fildhaut (Mainpost, 2019)

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Jonas Sorgenfrei – was born in 1993 in Nabburg (Bavaria/Germany). He began learning the drums at the age of 5. He first studied at regional music schools, then after completing his A levels in 2012 he went on to study at the Berufsfachschule für Musik Nürnberg, where he graduted in 2014 as „Staatlich Geprüfter (Ensemble-)Leiter für Popularmusik“.

His love for music lead him to continue on with his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg where he completed his Bachelor degree in Jazz-Drums, Pedagogy, and additionally with a Pedagogical Certificate in Jazz-Vocals in 2019.

In 2015, he took a study trip to New York City, where he took lessons f.e. at the Drummers Collective and the Manhattan School of Music.

In 2018, he furthered his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg where he completed his Master degree in Jazz-Drums with pianists Prof. Rainer Böhm and Lorenz Kellhuber with the highest honor in 2021.

Jonas Sorgenfrei competed in the „Jugend Musiziert“ and was awarded a prize in the „Drumset Pop“ category at the age of 17. The communication of music in a principle of solidarity with a focus on integration and inclusion has been close to his heart for many years, for which he has volunteered in a variety of social projects in the association "Willkommen mit Musik e. V." since its founding in the fall of 2014.

During his time at the University of Würzburg he won the Advancement Award in 2015 among others. Later on when he continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik at Nürnberg, he was prized a Bruno-Rother-Jazz-Competition award and the International Jazz competition "Johnny Raducanu" award in 2019 in Braila, Romania. In 2021 he was prized at the "Jazzfrühling Kempten", the "Junger Münchner Jazzpreis" and with a "Sparda Jazz Award". In 2023, he received the Bavarian Art Award "Bayerischer Kunstförderpreis". As a composer, he received artist funding from the "Musikfonds" Germany in 2022 and 2025 from the "Initiative für Musik" in Germany. In 2024, he received a commission for 6 compositions for the “Deutschen Menschenrechts-Filmpreis”. Jonas Sorgenfrei is a part of the music collective "Metropolmusik e.V.".

As a bandleader, he released "Elephants Marching On" (feat. Rainer Böhm, Wanja Slavin and Matthias Akeo Nowak) as a quartet in September 2021 on the Swiss label Unit Records. His trio recording "Moods" (feat. Denis Gäbel and Peter Christof) was also released by Unit Records in April 2022.

In October 2023, a live-concert recording by "Deutschlandfunk" of his music in a quartet (feat. Florian Trübsbach, Philipp Brämswig and Matthias Akeo Nowak) was released as a CD, also on Unit Records. His new program for quartet & quintet will be released by Unit Records in spring 2026. With „Lou-Duo“ he has released two programs - „Dreams of a little bird“ (2019) and „Souvenir“ (2021). His „Playground Quartet“ released their debut EP „Odyssey“ in 2020. A long-awaited new program “Pathways” and at the same time 5-year revival of the band will be released in spring 2025.

As a sideman he works f.e. with Izabella Effenberg, Matthias Schriefl, Nicole Johänntgen, Markus Harm, Jürgen Neudert, Rudi Engel, Christian Diener, Hubert Winter, Anton Mangold, Peter Adamietz, Norbert Emminger, Filip Wisniewski, Max Heimler, Felix Schneider-Restschikow, Valentin Louis Findling, Andi Schmid, Felix Wiegand, Peter Fulda, Paul Bernewitz, Vera Mohrs, Kostia Rapoport, Peter Willems, Tim Finoulst, or in the Lukas Langguth Trio.

He worked with Ack van Rooyen, Johannes Faber, Jim Black, Dave Weckl, Billy Drummond, Ari Hoenig, John Riley, Erivelton Silva, Rainer Böhm, Lorenz Kellhuber, Jochen Rückert, Bastian Jütte, Bill Elgart, Udo Dahmen, Ramesh Shotham, Jost Nickel, Gerwin Eisenhauer, Christoph Huber, Bernhard Pichl, Tine Schneider, Reinette van Zijtveld-Lustig, Silke Straub, Sara Decker, Michelle Walker, Sabine Kühlich, Henning Sieverts, Martin Auer, Florian Trübsbach, Lage Lund, Justin Faulkner, Matt Brewer, Jesse Davis, Mike Moreno, Matt Penman, Chris Cheek, Ralph Moore and Eberhard Weber among others.

Jonas Sorgenfrei performed concerts on international stages, clubs and festivals in Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, England, Romania, China and all over Germany.

He teaches drums and vocals at the solidary music school "Willkommen mit Musik" and for many years as a private teacher for drums, vocals and DaF/DaZ (german as a foreign/second language).

Press

Prizes and Awards

2025 - Artist grant from the "Initiative für Musik" Germany
2023 - Bavarian Art Promotion Prize in the music category
2022 - STIP-II artist grant from the "Musikfonds" Germany; GEMA Neustart Kultur; Bayern Innovativ Young Art and New Paths
2021 - Jazzfrühling Kempten; Young Munich Jazz Prize; Sparda Jazz Award
2019 - International Jazz Competition Johnny Raducanu in Braila, Romania; 3rd prize winner at the "Bruno Rother Jazz Competition" of the HfM Nuremberg,
2018 - 1st prize winner of the jazz competition "What Are Your Roots?" at the University of Music Würzburg
2017 - 1st prize winner of the jazz competition "At The Movies" of the University of Music Würzburg
2016 - 3rd prize winner of the jazz competition "Jazz in the Nazi Era" at the University of Music Würzburg
since 2017 - with Willkommen mit Musik e. V.: Cultural Medal of the City of Würzburg; Integration Prize of the Government of Lower Franconia; Social Prize of the Bavarian State Foundation
2015 - Sponsorship award from the Würzburg University of Music
2011 - 1st prize "Jugend musiziert" (drum set, pop)

Education

2018-2021, Nuremberg University of Music, Master of Music Jazz Drums with Prof. Rainer Böhm and Lorenz Kellhuber. Graduated with top marks and honors
2015, study visit to New York City, including at the Drummers Collective with Marko Djordjevic, at the Manhattan School of Music with John Riley, with Ari Hoenig and Billy Drummond.
2014-2019, University of Music Würzburg - Bachelor of Music artistic & artistic-pedagogical jazz drums with Prof. Bill Elgart and Bastian Jütte; pedagogical certificate studies in jazz singing with Reinette van Zijtveld-Lustig, Silke Straub, Sabine Kühlich, Sara Decker and Michelle Walker;
2012-2014, vocational school for music in Nuremberg, major subject "Drums" with Christoph Huber; degree: "State-certified leader for popular music"

Pedagogy

since 2016 - Teacher for drums, ensemble band coaching, singing and DaF/DaZ; at the solidarity music school"Willkommen mit Musik"; since 2022 - Head of the "Fundraising" working group
since 2012 - Freelance (instrumental) teacher and private teacher for drums, ensemble/band coaching, vocals (since 2019) and DaF/DaZ (german as a foreign/second language, 2022)