Grandbrothers consists of jazz pianist Erol Sarp and synthesizer builder and computer programmer Lukas Vogel. Until now, the duo’s characteristic sound has been shaped by a traditional grand piano equipped with delicate devices and rhythm formulas. Every component of the piano in their hands becomes a source of sound, creating a classical, distinctly rhythmic, humanly simple, and emotionally engaging musical language.

At the heart of the new concert show is Grandbrothers’ recently released album Elsewhere, which marks a new era in the duo’s musical journey. Erol and Lukas also work with analog synthesizers, drum machines, and club-culture-inspired rhythms, giving their performance an even stronger and more dynamic dimension.

Audiences will have the opportunity to experience a new stage setup and fresh lighting concepts that reflect the duo’s crossing of their own boundaries. The performance experience is shaped by intimacy, multi-layered sound textures, captivating rhythms, and forward momentum.

As the musicians themselves describe it: “We believe that the new sound allows us to create a closer connection with the audience. Long pauses between pieces have been eliminated, making the show more fluid and interactive. Previously, our concerts always had seating, but now we don’t want people to just stand. We want them to move and dance.”

Grandbrothers draw inspiration from John Cage and Steve Reich, and similar aesthetic views connect them with Hauschka and Ludovico Einaudi. Their biography includes performances in classical concert halls, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and popular clubs across European capitals, a grand concert at Cologne Cathedral broadcast by TV ARTE, music for films, and four albums.

The European tour for their fifth album Elsewhere has already brought the duo to prestigious venues such as Élysée Montmartre in Paris, Melkweg in Amsterdam, Huxleys Neue Welt in Berlin, Scala in London, and Vicar Street in Dublin, which are just a small part of their 32 stops.

Visitors are invited to join an exciting pre-concert talk at 5:30 PM in the public area on the first floor of the concert hall, where we will look back at mid- and late-20th-century musical modernism — whose cradle was the German city of Darmstadt and whose development was significantly influenced by the Cologne Radio Electronic Music Studio — while also discussing the synthesizer phenomenon over time, its current status, and the possibilities of reintegrating it into contemporary classical music. The discussion will be hosted by Ģirts Ozoliņš, head of the Latvian company Erica Synths, one of the world’s largest and most sought-after builders of electronic music instruments. The instruments’ quality is rooted in Latvia’s excellent electronics manufacturing traditions and has been appreciated by, among others, Depeche Mode, Jean-Michel Jarre, Lady Gaga, Aphex Twin, and the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.