Carte Blanche

Hans Koch is a big name in independent and improvised music. Whether in ensembles such as the Barry Guy New Orchestra and the Ensemble d`Improvisateurs Européens, or as a soloist, complemented by electronics, samplings and computers, Hans Koch has made a name for himself as one of the most innovative improvising woodwind players in Europe. He has shared the stage with prominent musicians such as Cecil Taylor and Fred Frith, shaped the sound of the internationally renowned Koch-Schütz-Studer Trio and composed music for radio plays and films.

The story of the Big Bear began in the legendary Club "Bazillus" in 2011, from where it first moved to the "Klubi" and then to the "Institute". At each location, the Big Bear organized a concert almost every month with the musicians of the Bär Kollektiv.

In this way, the Big Bear has become a big institution, a big band, or rather an open cosmos that offers a refuge to many musicians from different backgrounds. Here, old hands meet young vixens, who can always learn from each other in both directions. Answers are found where the question has not yet been asked. This makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.