These are the NICA artists 2024!

After being nominated by selected North Rhine-Westphalian event organisers, music journalists and other cultural professionals, the artists living in NRW were selected by a jury of experts.

We are pleased to announce the following participants as NICA artists of the 5th funding generation:

• Jorik Bergman (flutist, *1996)
• Jonas Engel (saxophonist, *1990)
• Felix Hauptmann (pianist, *1993)
• Thomas Sauerborn (percussionist, *1987)
• Emily Wittbrodt (cellist, *1994)

Special features of NICA artist development are the funding period of up to three years and the individual adaptability of the funding programme to the needs of the specific NICA artist to enable them to position themselves as an established artist. Through residencies, masterclasses, concert and rehearsal opportunities, participants can develop further in a focused way as part of the funding programme. International projects are also intended to promote networking in the European music scene. Coaching sessions and workshops offer support in business topics such as marketing, project management and production. At concerts in the NICA live series - an experimental field for bringing together new band constellations, solo formats or curated programmes - at Stadtgarten Köln or at the venues and festivals of cooperation partners, the participants also gain experience in a professional event context.

The jury members are Friederike Darius, part of the Metropole Orkest management team, Prof Anette von Eichel from the Cologne University of Music and Dance, music journalist and WDR Cosmo presenter Uh-Young Kim, author, sound artist and performer Prof Dr Swantje Lichtenstein, double bassist and board member of the Kölner Jazz Haus e. V. initiative Ulla Oster, artistic director of Stadtgarten Köln Kornelia Vossebein and music journalist Christian Werthschulte. Thomas Baerens, Head of the Music Department at the Ministry of Culture and Science, chaired the jury for the last time this year.