Prof. Sebastian Sternal
Artistic Director Jazz Campus Mainz
Sebastian Sternal, professor for jazz piano and jazz ensemble at the Mainz School of Music, studied in Cologne and Paris and has worked with jazz greats like Dee Dee Bridgewater, David Binney and John Riley. His concert tours took him all over the world. He won numerous prizes, such as the WDR Jazzpreis 2007, the Concours piano jazz Martial Solal 2010, Neuer Deutscher Jazzpreis 2014, Annual Award of the German Schallplattenkritik 2015, and the ECHO Jazz in 2013, 2016, and 2018. His project Sternal Symphonic Society combines young musicians from jazz and classical music. In 2017, his trio album "Home" with Larry Grenadier and Jonas Burgwinkel was released and celebrated by the audience and professionals alike.
As part of his GRC fellowship, Sternal plans the development of the Jazz Campus Mainz, which will include the implementation of a first-rate European ensemble as well as the establishment of a Jazz Summer School and a university big band.
Andreas Dittinger
Artistic Advisor, Manager Gutenberg Jazz Collective and excellence programs
Andreas Dittinger studied jazz piano at the music academies in Mainz and Mannheim and also holds two degrees in international management from the ESB Business School in Reutlingen and the Northeastern University in Boston. In addition to his own projects such as the Andreas Dittinger Trio and various activities as a sideman, he acts as producer and musical director of the Loft Arts Music Show, in which he brings rap and R’n’B greats to the stage with a large live band. During his studies, Andreas received a teaching position at the University of Music in Würzburg and works as a lecturer at various other educational institutions. He is managing director of the Gutenberg Jazz Collective for the Jazz Campus Mainz and advises the artistic direction.
Mirko Meurer
Artistic Advisor, Manager Summer School and music educational programs
Mirko Meurer has studied music education, musicology and has certifications in Music Business Management and Vocal Education for Popular Singing. He has been working for many years in youth and adult educational professions and programs for jazz and pop (instrumental and singing lessons, big band leading for amateur and semi-professional big bands, coachings for small jazz ensembles, seminars for jazz theory, musical study advice, etc.). In addition, he is active as a jazz singer in the swing genre, as administrator of the Jazz Landesverband "JAZZ RLP", as networker for jazz, jazz education and vocal pedagogy at the state and federal level and cooperates closely with the Landesmusikakademie RLP, Jugend jazzt, the Musikgymnasium RLP, Deutsche Jazz Union and vocal educational networks. He is also a member of the commission for the recasting of the curriculum for popular singing at public music schools in Germany and from the summer semester 2021 lecturer in jazz and popular singing at the university of Koblenz.
Petra Hertel
Assistant to the project management
Since 2013, as an administrative assistant at the University of Music, she supervises the study programs Jazz and Popular Music, elementary music education and guitar (M.A.).
She is a collaborator in the organization and application of the Jazz Campus Mainz program.
Lea Reichel
Management Assistant
Lea Reichel studies jazz singing at the Mainz University of Music. Ever since she can remember, singing has been her greatest passion. She performs internationally in various formations, and is particularly fond of intimate duo ensembles. Stylistically, she moves between folk and jazz, where her warm sound with its fine, detailed tones comes into its own.
She is part of the bavarian state youth jazzorchestra and the national jazz orchestra of germany and a scholarship holder of the Yehudi Menuhin LMN Frankfurt e.V.s.
Mara Jessen
Social Media
Mara Jessen, born in 1997, is a pianist and music educator from Schleswig-Holstein. She completed her studies in music education with a major in classical piano at the Lübeck Academy of Music. In addition, she gained experience as a classical pianist and played in various bands.
Besides her skill in playing the piano, singing and music education also play a significant role in her musical endeavors. She has been involved in singing in choirs in both classical and pop genres and has also led choirs herself. Additionally, she offers piano lessons and workshops.
Since 2022, she has been living in Mainz, where she is studying jazz piano with Pablo Held at the Mainz School of Music. Mara is currently responsible as a social media assistant for the Jazz Campus Mainz.
Nazanin Hafez
Social Media
Nazanin Hafez is a visual artist based in Iran and Germany. She got her B.A. in Media Art and Design from Saar College of Fine Arts in Saarbrücken. She is currently pursuing her studies in Fine Art at Academy of Fine Arts in Mainz. She incorporates various art forms specially photography, collage, Video and Sound installation in her artworks.
She is responsible for maintaining the Website and social media of Jazz Campus Mainz.