The prize will be awarded on Friday, November 3, 2017, in the House of the Berlin Festival during the Jazzfest Berlin, after which the Angelika Niescier NYC Trio will perform.

The Cologne-based Niescier demonstrates "enormous musical versatility," read the jury declaration, "as well as a clear and authentic musical concept."

Born in 1970 in the Polish Baltic sea city of Szczecin, Angelika Niescier moved to Germany at age eight. Performing solo and in duets and trios, she is "a jazz virtuoso with a strong and enormously versatile tone quality" in the view of the German newsweekly Die Zeit.

The German Jazz Prize jury stressed Niescier's work in ensemble formations. "With every tone and with every word she shows great curiosity about her partner's stance — doing so with a stylistic and integrative open-mindedness that encourages traversing new paths together rather than building on her own experience."

Also known as the "Albert Mangelsdorff Prize" in honor of a famous German jazz trombone player, the distinction is considered the most important jazz prize in the German-speaking countries. Given every two years by the Union of German Jazz Musicians (UDJ), it comes with a cash awarded of €15,000 ($17,500).

Read more: Egypt swings again as German group plays Cairo Jazz Festival

rf/cmb (jazzpages/die zeit)