Kaisa Mäensivu – Sasha Berliner – Nicole McGabe – Eva Klesse

Kaisa Mäensivu, originally from Finland, is a jazz bassist, composer and bandleader based in New York City. Her imaginative playing, described by Hrayr Attarian in All About Jazz as "uniquely creative", is more than in demand internationally.

Sasha Berliner, described by JazzTimes as a "young master of the mallet", is an award-winning vibraphonist and composer who lives in both New York City and Los Angeles. Mannheim jazz audiences are familiar with the 26-year-old from the SWR NEWJazz Meeting as part of Enjoy Jazz 2021, where she impressed with her energetic playing.

Nicole McCabe is a saxophonist, composer and educator from Marin County, California, who lives and works in Los Angeles and is a rising star in the city's interdisciplinary scene.

Eva Klesse is active as a percussionist and composer in numerous projects, including her own quartet, the Julia Hülsmann Octet, the Sarah Chaksad Large Ensemble and plays with musicians such as Ethan Iverson, Marilyn Mazur, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Nils Landgren. She is the first German instrumental professor for jazz at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media.