Biography

Her career as a freelance jazz musician spans a wide range of projects and ensembles in both New York and Europe. Since 2022, she has taught jazz drums at the Zurich University of the Arts, and in 2024 she was appointed Professor of Rhythmics and Jazz Drums at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK).

Her band Mareike Wiening Quintet, featuring long-time collaborators Rich Perry, Glenn Zaleski, Alex Goodman, and Phil Donkin, was nominated for the German Jazz Prize in 2022. She has released three albums on Dave Douglas’ acclaimed New York label Greenleaf Music, with a fourth album scheduled for release in 2026.

Her touring has taken her across Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Norway, Lithuania, Brazil, and the United States. Wiening has performed at prestigious venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Blue Note NYC, Jazz Gallery NY, Jazzclub Unterfahrt, A-trane Berlin, New York Winterjazzfest, Atlanta Jazz Festival, and Elbjazz Hamburg. She has also appeared in musical and theater productions in Europe and Off-Broadway shows in New York. In 2023, she was featured in the documentary Jazzfieber, which was screened in cinemas across Germany.

Mareike Wiening has collaborated with acclaimed artists including John Zorn, Stefon Harris, Dan Tepfer, Dayna Stephens, Fabian Almazan, Johannes Enders, Adrian Mears, and Ben Wendel, among many others. Her artistic achievements have earned her several awards, and she proudly endorses MEINL Cymbals and MEINL Sticks.

Biografie

Mareike Wiening, Schlagzeugerin und Komponistin, verbrachte sieben Jahre in Brooklyn, New York, wo sie ihre musikalische Laufbahn ausbaute. Seit 2025 lebt sie in Wien und ist als feste Größe in der internationalen Jazzszene aktiv.

Ihre vielseitige Karriere als freischaffende Musikerin umfasst zahlreiche Projekte und Ensembles in New York und Europa. Seit 2022 lehrt sie Jazz-Schlagzeug an der Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, seit 2024 ist sie Professorin für Rhythmik und Jazz-Schlagzeug an der Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien (MUK).

Das Mareike Wiening Quintet, bestehend aus ihren langjährigen musikalischen Partnern Rich Perry, Glenn Zaleski, Alex Goodman und Phil Donkin, wurde sie 2022 für den Deutschen Jazzpreis nominiert. Auf dem renommierten New Yorker Label Greenleaf Music von Dave Douglas erschienen bisher drei Alben; das vierte wird 2026 veröffentlicht.

Konzertreisen führten sie durch Deutschland, Dänemark, Frankreich, die Schweiz, Slowenien, Norwegen, Litauen, Brasilien und die USA. Mareike Wiening trat in bekannten Veranstaltungsorten wie der Carnegie Hall, dem Blue Note NYC, der Jazzgallery NY, dem Jazzclub Unterfahrt, dem A-trane Berlin, dem New York Winterjazzfest, dem Atlanta Jazzfestival und dem Elbjazz Hamburg auf. Sie war auch an Musical- und Theateraufführungen in Europa und Off-Broadway Shows in New York City beteiligt. 2023 wirkte sie in der Dokumentation “Jazzfieber” mit, die deutschlandweit im Kino ausgestrahlt wurde.

Mareike Wiening hat mit namhaften Musikern wie John Zorn, Stefon Harris, Dan Tepfer, Dayna Stephens, Fabian Almazan, Johannes Enders, Adrian Mears, Ben Wendel und vielen anderen zusammengearbeitet. Ihre herausragenden Leistungen wurden mehrfach ausgezeichnet, und sie ist MEINL-Endorserin für Cymbals und Sticks.

PRESS QUOTES

“It’s basically the jazz equivalent of Manhattanhenge: lush and romantic, but also subdued and very tasteful.”
– Phil Freeman, Stereogum

“Metropolis Paradise is an impressive debut. Wiening’s compositions are rich and varied.”
– Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz

“In the ongoing conversation about best debut album of the year, I hope due consideration goes to drummer Mareike Wiening. … Every piece on Metropolis Paradise is a Wiening original, and they cover an appealing range of style — from Brad Mehldau-esque waltzes (For a Good Day) to knotty polyrhythmic workouts (Misconception).”
– Nate Chinen, WGBO

“Clearly this recording – a celebrated one by the enormously gifted Mareike Wiening – offers musical riches together with performances by all at hand to rival the very best; and this should delight listeners eager for something both musically substantial and free-swinging as well.”
– Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama

“Metropolis Paradise merits special attention. … Wiening’s subtle melodies like “2 in 1” and “Viewpoints” are elaborated by shifting unisons, layered harmonies and cycles of call and response. Her classical background is also apparent in the formal notated piano patterns woven through her charts. It may even be audible in her clean, orderly, understated drumwork.”
– Thomas Conrad, New York City Jazz Record

“Stylish modern jazz.”
– Brooklyn Rail

“Ms. Wiening … plays original music with a planar, modulating harmonic language and a propulsive drift. Her language is part chamber jazz, part big-boned rock percussion, part free improvisation.”
– Giovanni Russonello, New York Times

Discography

Reveal

Personnel: Mareike Wiening – Drums, Rich Perry – Tenor Saxophone, Glenn Zaleski – Piano, Alex Goodman – Guitar, Johannes Felscher – Double Bass, and special guest Dave Douglas – Trumpet

Greenleaf Music 2023

Buy

Future Memories

Personnel: Mareike Wiening – Drums, Rich Perry – Tenor Saxophone, Glenn Zaleski – Piano, Alex Goodman – Guitar, Johannes Felscher – Double Bass

Greenleaf Music 2021

Buy

Metropolis Paradise

Personnel: Mareike Wiening – Drums, Rich Perry – Tenor Saxophone, Dan Tepfer – Piano, Alex Goodman – Guitar, Johannes Felscher – Double Bass

Greenleaf Music 2019

Free At Last- From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King Jr.- eine Symbiose in Jazz

Personnel: Yara Linss – vocals, Florian Mueller – guitar, Markus Harm – saxophone, Alex Bayer – bass, Mareike Wiening – drums

Self-released 2018

Crosswalk

Personnel: Rich Perry – tenor sax, Alex Goodman – guitar, Patricia Franceschy – vibraphone, Angelo Di Loreto – piano, Marty Kenney – bass, Mareike Wiening – drums

Self-released 2014

Also appears on:

  • Rachel Therrien – Vena (Bonsaï Music, 2020)
  • Johannes Ludwig Quartet feat. Johannes Enders – The Druid’s Song (Nagel & Hayer Records, 2012)
  • Christoph Neuhaus Quintet feat. Adrian Mears – Directions (Unit Records, 2013)
  • Yngvil Vatn Guttu – On The Crosswalk (Kachemack Records, 2014)
  • Generations Unit feat. Adrian Mears – Tease My Shoes (TCB Records, 2010)