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Fabia Mantwill Orchestra: In.Sight

By Neil Duggan
August 7, 2025
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Slow, haunting strings usher listeners into

Fabia Mantwill Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Fabia Mantwill Orchestra's ambitious album In.Sight. This bold statement involves a 32-piece orchestra with six virtuoso soloists, performing compositions co-written by Mantwill,

Snarky Puppy

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Snarky Puppy's

Michael League

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael League and Greek composer

Magdalini Giannikou

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">Magdalini Giannikou.

The album opens with "Satoyama," where those melancholic strings gradually bloom into bright melodic passages. The piece moves through a soundscape that weaves together jazz, classical and cinematic drama before Mantwill's expressive tenor saxophone emerges as the leading voice. Each composition has been crafted to showcase its featured soloist, and

Roosevelt Collier

guitar, slide

" data-original-title="" title="">Roosevelt Collier's lap steel guitar is completely engaging on the funky groove of "Whirl The Wheel." The track pulses with luxuriant orchestrations, razor-sharp horn and reed sections and the sweeping drama of a classic spy thriller score.

Berlin-based Mantwill earned widespread praise for her 2021 debut Em.Perience (XJazz Music) and In.Sight demonstrates her continued artistic development, avoiding any difficult second album issues. She has matured her fusion of orchestral palettes and improvisational freedom into something both mature and immediately accessible. Her compositional voice is expanded through her collaboration with League, whose large ensemble work includes his teaming with the

Metropole Orkest

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Metropole Orkest, and Giannikou's integration of Latin American and Greek folk traditions into a contemporary jazz framework.

Featuring

Momi Maiga

kora

" data-original-title="" title="">Momi Maiga's kora, the quick-moving transitions of "Circular" blend surging strings, pulsing brass and no small amount of drama. On the Celtic-tinged "Sleeping Giant,"

Morris Kliphuis

french horn
b.1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Morris Kliphuis' French horn engages in thoughtful dialogue with

Goran Stevanovich

accordion

" data-original-title="" title="">Goran Stevanovich's accordion. In contrast,

Anat Cohen

clarinet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Anat Cohen's clarinet nearly steals the spotlight on "Olhos," a piece that channels

Henry Mancini

composer / conductor
1924 - 1994

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Mancini's sophistication through its gentle groove. The superb contributions of the soloists come to a close with

Kurt Rosenwinkel

guitar
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Kurt Rosenwinkel's soaring rock-influenced electric guitar work on the excellent "Fairy Glen." While the focus inevitably falls on the soloists, the individual contributions from the orchestra and conductor's guiding hand should not be overlooked.

There is a mix of precision and improvisation in Mantwill's compositions; her arrangements manage to feel both widescreen and intimate. The fluid transitions through the passages, along with the instrumental variety, make the soundscape immersive with deeply woven textures drawn from diverse musical traditions. With every piece offering a melodic adventure alongside excellent ensemble writing, this is an easy album to recommend.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Satoyama; Whirl the Wheel; Circular; Sleeping Giant; Olhos; Fairy Glen.

Personnel

Fabia Mantwill

composer / conductor

Kurt Rosenwinkel

guitar

Anat Cohen

clarinet

Roosevelt Collier

guitar, slide

Momi Maiga

kora

Goran Stevanovitch

accordion

Morris Kliphuis

french horn

Additional Instrumentation

Anne-Sophie Bereuter: violin (1-6); Luiza Labouriau: violin(1-6); Marit Behnke: violin(1-6); Annabelle Dugast: violin(1-6); Julia Czerniawska: violin(1-6); Almut Wolfart: violin(1-6); Johanna Hempen: violin(1-6); Valerie Leopold: violin(1-6); Leonie Flaksman: violin(1-6); Christina D?ring: violin(1-6); ?i?dem Tun?elli: violin(1-6); Alexina Hawkins: viola(1-6); Marc Kopitzki: viola(1-6); Ya?mur Atag��r: viola(1-6); Johann-Vincent Slawinsk: viola(1-6); Liron Yariv: cello(1-6); Tabea Schrenk: cello(1-6); Mireia Pe?alver: cello(1-6); Tilmann Dehnhard: flutes, alto sax(1-6); Matthew Halpin: tenor sax, flute, clarinet(1-6); Daniel Buch: baritone sax, bass clarinet(1-6); Jo Hermans: trumpet, flugel(1-6); Johannes B?hmer: trumpet, flugel(1-6); Jan Landowski: trombone(1-6); Tobias Herzog: bass trombone, tuba(1-6); Teresa Emilia Raff: harp(1-6); David Soyza: vibraphone, marimba(1-6); Charis Karantzas: guitar(1-6); Igor Spallati: bass(1-6); Marcio Doctor: percussion(1-6); Fabian R?sch: drums(1-6); Jochen Neuffer: conductor(1-6); Fabia Mantwill: composition, arrangement, voice, tenor saxophone(1-6); Roosevelt Collier: lap steel guitar(2); Momi Maiga: kora(3); Goran Stevanovich: accordion(4); Morris Kliphuis: French horn(4); Anat Cohen: clarinet(5); Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar(6).

Album information

Title: In.Sight | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: GroundUP Music

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