About Kurt Maas

Kurt Maas studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston and graduated in 1965 with a Certificate in Arranging and Composition. In addition to his work as a musician, composer and arranger, he became an entrepreneur, founding a sheet music online shop and taking over the exclusive distribution of all Berklee publications for Germany for several years. At the time, his company was one of the most important sources for American big band sheet music and all kinds of arrangements.

At the end of the 1980s, the musician and jazz educator laid the foundation for academic jazz education in Munich. With his unique founding and development of the Jazz Institute at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, he made an invaluable contribution to the development of jazz. His great musical talent, empathy and creativity, as well as his warm personality, have always inspired and motivated students and teachers alike. Many of his students are now among the most renowned jazz musicians in Germany and Europe. Until his retirement in 2008, he headed the Jazz Institute with unique dedication.

In memory of his life’s work, the Kurt Maas Jazz Award has been presented to particularly talented students of the Jazz Institute since 2013.