Frank Wingold

Frank Wingold is a guitarist, composer, and educator. Active in jazz, americana and contemporary music, he combines classical, jazz, and rock traditions to create a unique language of improvisation and composition.

Frank lives in Cologne, where he has been active since 1993 as a bandleader, sideman, and composer. In addition to his role as jazz guitar teacher at the PCC, he is a professor of jazz guitar at the University of Osnabrück. He combines classical with jazz and rock-oriented playing and composition techniques on both acoustic and electric guitars to develop his own language of improvisation and composition. His projects, such as Entangled Music Trio with Robert Landfermann and Jonas Burgwinkel, and the duo Gassmann & Wingold, reflect a deep commitment to improvisation and interaction. Other collaborations include Efrat Alony’s quartet Hollywood Isn’t Calling, the award-winning trio Agog, the Goethe-Institut-supported ensemble Underkarl, and performances with MusikFabrik Cologne. Wingold’s solo album “to be frank” received enthusiastic critical acclaim and was named Record of the Month in JazzPodium and Gitarre & Bass. His extensive touring in Europe, Russia, South America, India, and China offers students access to a broad international network of artists and performance opportunities.

Frank’s teaching is guided by curiosity, openness, and respect for each student’s individual artistic voice. I’m inspired by musicians who blur stylistic boundaries, I encourage exploration across genres, and I consider improvisation as both a musical and personal dialogue”, he says. “My approach combines technical precision with conceptual depth, helping students to understand harmony, rhythm, and sound as tools for expression rather than limits. In my lessons, I aim to foster creative independence; developing the ability to think critically, improvise freely, and compose intuitively. Whether through ensemble playing, solo performance, or composition, his goal is to empower my students to find authenticity in their music and confidence in their artistic direction within the constantly evolving landscape of jazz and contemporary music.”