Florian Hoefner Releases Into the Aquasphere, Pairing His Jazz Quartet With a 22-Piece Chamber Orchestra

Pianist and composer Florian Hoefner released Into the Aquasphere on Oct. 23 through ALMA Records/Universal. According to the label and the artist's website, it is the Juno Award winner's first large-ensemble project, combining a jazz quartet of piano, bass, drums and tenor saxophone with a 22-piece chamber orchestra.

Hoefner insists the two groups were written as one. "This is not a jazz quartet accompanied by an orchestra, but one ensemble, where the quartet is fully integrated with the orchestra," he said in material released with the album.

The album was recorded at Studio Piccolo in Montreal in October 2024, with JC Sanford conducting. The ensemble includes John Hébert on bass, Eric McPherson on drums, clarinetist and bass clarinetist Christine Carter, percussionist Ben Reimer, and a string section led by Grammy-winning concertmaster Nathalie Bonin. BroadwayWorld, reporting from the release materials, identifies Carter as Hoefner's wife.

The record contains three original compositions, each about a different aspect of the relationship between people and water. "Aerial Rivers" is named after the atmospheric flows of moisture from the Amazon Basin that sustain life across much of South America. "AMOC" takes its name from the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, a system of Atlantic Ocean currents that the release materials describe as threatened by climate change. "Force of Nature," which ALMA says was the first single, explores water's capacity to both destroy and soothe.

"I have always been creatively inspired by the environment," Hoefner said. "Even when I lived in Germany I always sought out nature experiences, whether it was hiking high up in the Alps or swimming in wild waters. These experiences have left a lasting impression on me, and I care deeply about protecting the natural places that inspired them."

Hoefner has also written classical chamber music, including the "Blue Chapter" of Project Earth for the Iris Trio and poet Don McKay. Other recent projects include his longstanding trio with Andrew Downing and Nick Fraser, a revived Florian Hoefner Group, and the Atlantic Jazz Collective, which he co-founded with saxophonist Mike Murley and bassist Jim Vivian. That group's debut album, Seascape, featured singer Norma Winstone and drummer Joe LaBarbera and was nominated for a Juno in 2025.

"I'm driven by the challenge of finding new ways to express my musical voice," Hoefner said. "Whether through different ensembles, collaborations, or artistic contexts, my goal is always the same: to create work that connects with audiences through performance."

Into the Aquasphere carries the catalog number ACD10232, according to Hoefner's website.