R.I.P. - Frank Kirchner (* 1 November 1961 in Düsseldorf; † 1 December 2024 was a German jazz saxophonist.

Kirchner studied clarinet and saxophone with Leo Höller from 1971. In 1978 he won first prize in the Jugend jazzt competition. From 1981 to 1986 he studied classical music and jazz at the Cologne University of Music with Karel Krautgartner and Heiner Wiberny.

Since 1986 Kirchner has been a saxophonist with Herbert Grönemeyer & Band and has taken part in all of the group's tours and recordings. Since 1993 he has released albums under his own name with the group jazzattack (with Axel Fischbacher, Stefan Rademacher and Kurt Billker). In 1993 the album Frank Kirchner was released with Markus Wienstroer, Dietmar Steinhauer, Stefan Rademacher, Kurt Billker and Leonard Gincberg.

In addition to tours with the Grönemeyer Band and television appearances, among others. Kirchner recorded duo recordings with Ulli Leenen and others on Willemsens Woche, Wetten, dass..?, Geld oder Liebe and the ARD-Wunschkonzert and worked as a sideman on recordings by the Toten Hosen, Bianca Ciccu, Gloria Gaynor, Hildegard Knef, Gianna Nannini, Herwig Mitteregger, Timmy Thomas, Christoph Spendel and Anne Haigis.

In 2000 he played Darius Milhaud's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Symphony Orchestra in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf under the direction of Eberhard Bäumler. In 2004 he made duo recordings with Hans-Jörg Böckeler on the organ in the Augustinerkirche in Würzburg. In 2008 he started a film music project under the name rauschen.kneten.ton in collaboration with Marcus Scheltinga and musicians such as Michael Schürmann and Jürgen Dahmen.

In November 2010, his second release under the name Frank Kirchner and Zoomachine was released, entitled Panic in the Peanut Gallery, produced by Marcus Scheltinga. Georg Niehusmann received a Golden Bobby in 2012 for his recording of the track Expulsion.

Herbert Grönemeyer - Alkohol live 2003 - Mensch Tour (Gelsenkirchen

Herbert Grönemeyer DVD - Halt mich Live HD (Schiffsverkehr Tour 2011)

Frank Kirchner - Panic in the Peanut Gallery

 

R.I.P