The Creative Legacy Ensemble: A Tribute to Karl Berger

The Creative Legacy Ensemble honors the visionary composer, improviser, and educator Karl Berger, whose influence on free improvisation and global music is immeasurable. From his early days in post war Germany to his transformative collaborations with Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman, Berger followed a path that ultimately led him to Woodstock, where he and vocalist Ingrid Sertso co founded the groundbreaking Creative Music Studio in the 1970s.
CMS became a magnet for boundary pushing artists—Carla Bley, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny, Anthony Braxton, and many others—who helped shape a new era of creative music. That spirit continues today through the Ensemble, whose members bring Berger’s legacy to life with deep artistry, adventurous improvisation, and a commitment to musical exploration.

The Creative Legacy Ensemble: A Tribute to Karl Berger
Featuring: Ingrid Sertso Berger, Peter Apfelbaum, Steven Bernstein, Brittany Anjou, Ken Filiano, Tani Tabbal, Marilyn Crispell