Christian Benning

Christian Benning is one of the leading percussionists of a young and innovative generation of drummers in Germany and “sets off with his ensemble a firework of rhythms and sounds” (Süddeutsche Zeitung).

The 24 year-old multipercussionist was chosen as a junior student at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich with Adel Shalaby at the age of 13 and has won several competitions such as the Marimba-Festiva Competition Nuremberg in 2010. He subsequently completed his studies in the classes of Peter Sadlo and Arnold Riedhammer from 2014 to 2019. In addition, Christian Benning took part in workshops and masterclasses by Martin Grubinger, Evelyn Glennie, Jost Nickel, Jojo Mayer and Peter Sadlo.

Following the successful performances as member of the Esegesi Percussion Quartet of Simone Rubino at festivals such as Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Heidelberger Frühling, Musikfest Bremen and La Folle Journée de Nantes, Benning founded his own percussion ensemble in 2014. The first concerts in Augsburg and Dachau enthused, whereby "the precision of the band was topped only by the joy of playing", so the critics in Augsburg. Meanwhile, the Christian Benning Percussion Group enraptured audiences in Hamburg Bremen, Munich, Karlsruhe, Bad Kissingen among others.

Felix Kolb

Felix Kolb was born in Nuremberg. After his first musical experience in various youth orchestras, he began to study percussion with Adel Shalaby in Munich 2012 and later with Prof. Raymond Curfs obtaining a bachelor's degree in 2017. In Munich, Felix Kolb gained a lot of experience as a percussionist in the various orchestras. He is currently a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Concert tours have taken him throughout Europe, among others, with conductors such as Mariss Jansons, Kirill Petrenko, Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski and Daniel Harding. Since 2018/19 Felix Kolb has been a member of the Orchestra Academy of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.

Marcel Kentaro Morikawa

Marcel Kentaro Morikawa was born in Cologne and began his drums lessons in 2006 with Robert Schäfer. He attended the Music High School "Liceul de Muzica George Enescu" in Bucharest for one year and was accepted to study with Prof. Carlos Tarcha at the Hochschule für Musik Köln in 2009. In addition, he studied at the National Music University Bucharest with Alexandru Matei. In 2014 he began his studies with Peter Sadlo at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich and completed his studies with Claudio Estay, drummer of the Bavarian State Orchestra, in 2018 with distinction. In the same year, Marcel Kentaro Morikawa won the 2nd Prize of the International Italy Percussion Competition in the category vibraphone. Marcel Kentaro Morikawa regularly plays in the orchestra of the Gärtnerplatz-Theater Munich, the Hofer Symphoniker and the Bavarian State Orchestra.

Patrick Stapleton

Patrick Stapleton (* 1993) has been studying percussion at theUniversity of Music and Performing Arts in Munich since 2011, first with Adel Shalaby and later in the master class of Peter Sadlo, and with Alexej Gerassimez since 2017. In addition to regular appearances as a soloist and in various duo formations, he has been involved in numerous chamber music projects. Patrick Stapleton has already worked together with famous artists such as Steve Reich and participated in two albums of the label Genuin Classics. Since 2018, Patrick Stapleton regularly plays the marimba position in the musical "The Lion King" in Hamburg. Concert tours have taken him through Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Egypt, Oman, Azerbaijan and Thailand. The multiple award winner holds a scholarship of "Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now" since 2015.

Severin Stitzenberger

At the age of five Severin Stitzenberger received his first drum lessons from his father in Wangen. A few years later he moved to the music school in Wangen and won numerous first prizes at “Jugend Musiziert”. As a member of the Federal Youth Orchestra and the Baden-Württemberg State Youth Orchestra, he discovered symphonic playing for himself. He became a young student at the University of Music and Theater in Munich and completed his bachelor's degree with Prof. Arnold Riedhammer and Prof. Peter Sadlo. From 2015-2018 Severin Stitzenberger was first percussionist of the Augsburg Philharmonic. Since 2018/19 he has been first percussionist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He is also a member of the brass ensemble Salaputia Brass.

Season 2020/21