SHUTEEN ERDENEBAATAR
COMPOSER | PIANIST | BANDLEADER | ARRANGER
SHUTEEN ERDENEBAATAR
QUARTET
Not only did the sun rise when pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar released her internationally acclaimed debut RISING SUN in 2023 - her artistic vision did as well. Her approach unites her classical background and jazz present, her Mongolian heritage, and European aesthetics into a clear, powerful musical language. As a result she has received numerous invitations to major festivals and concert venues internationally, as well as recognition with the German Jazz Award and Mongolia’s highest cultural honor, the Mungun Mod.
With her new quartet program BRIGHT FOLK, Shuteen Erdenebaatar presents the culmination of her quartet language to date. Known for her remarkable storytelling, she unfolds her lyrical compositions through an international all-star quartet featuring Belgian saxophonist Simon Comté, German bassist Nils Kugelmann, and Israeli drummer Amir Bresler, whose diverse backgrounds infuse every performance with energy and vibrant tension. After an extended period of touring, they now unveil a sound that radiates clarity, resilience, warmth, and an unwavering sense of hope. Drawing on memories of distance and belonging, reflection, and personal growth, Shuteen's compositions transforms profound stories into expressive, uplifting soundscapes that celebrate the strength within us - and the light we carry into the world.
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© ULI NEUMANN-COSEL
SHUTEEN ERDENEBAATAR
NILS KUGELMANN
DUO
Two outstanding voices of young European jazz: Mongolian pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar and German bassist and contra-alto clarinettist Nils Kugelmann – invite you on an extraordinary musical journey with their new programme UNDER THE SAME STARS.
What began as a personal encounter has developed into a profound musical dialogue between two souls: Shuteen's hypnotic, luminous piano playing meets the mysterious timbres of Kugelmann's contralto clarinet – a rare instrument that takes centre stage here. Together, they create a soundscape that combines jazz, classical music and film music, interweaving their individual stories, cultures and love of music in a unique way.
In recent years, both have established themselves as influential figures of a new generation. Shuteen Erdenebaatar, born in Mongolia, has been living in Germany since 2018. She has been awarded the German Jazz Prize and the highest cultural prize in her home country, among others. Nils Kugelmann, ACT artist and also a multiple award winner, is known for his work with his own trio and his signature style as a composer.
© ULI NEUMANN-COSEL
SHUTEEN ERDENEBAATAR
CHAMBER JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Raised with orchestral and opera music, Shuteen began her journey as a classical pianist and composer, shaping her early musical voice through structure, color, and form. At sixteen, she encountered jazz for the first time, which was a discovery that opened her new paths of expression and freedom. Five years later, as she eventually started studying jazz piano and composition, she searched for a sound that truly felt like her own.
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This search led Shuteen to the creation of her 20-piece Chamber Jazz Orchestra – a highly distinctive ensemble combining woodwinds, brass, rhythm section, and string quartet, which she conducts herself. Drawing from both classical and jazz traditions, the music moves between composed and improvised worlds, intimacy and expansiveness, clarity and mystery.
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The ensemble’s first album BEYOND THE MOON, the final chapter of Erdenebaatar’s trilogy, is set for release in 2027. Beyond the Moon is a deeply atmospheric and introspective work, inspired by the idea of distance, wonder, and the unknown, drifting between worlds that feel both familiar and undiscovered.
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Note: The program is also available in a classical big band format. Shuteen can be booked as a guest conductor for existing big bands, as well as for workshops and educational projects.
© TJ KREBS
SHUTEEN ERDENEBAATAR
SOLO
With BETWEEN LIGHT, pianist and composer Shuteen Erdenebaatar opens a new chapter in her artistic journey. It's a luminous exploration of identity, transformation, and belonging. This music for solo piano inhabits the quiet hour between night and day, where stars fade, the moon lingers, and a new light begins to emerge.
Trained as a classical musician in Mongolia and later shaped by jazz in Europe, Erdenebaatar moves fluidly between traditions. What once felt like in-betweenness has become her artistic voice – one that bridges genres and cultures with clarity, sensitivity, and depth, while remaining unmistakably her own.
Her music speaks directly to the heart. It's grounded, lyrical, and alive in the moment, shaped by the freedom of jazz, the precision of classical tradition, and illuminated by her distinct melodic language and the openness of modern minimalism.
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Between Light captures a sense of belonging everywhere and in-between at once – a quiet, evolving journey toward wholeness, carried by a sound that is both delicate and full of strength.
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