Roger Hanschel, born on July 25, 1964, in Wolfsburg, Germany, is a saxophonist and composer known for his work in creative jazz. He studied saxophone at the Cologne University of Music from 1981 to 1987, where he founded the group Nana with Hans Lüdemann, Rainer Linke, and Klaus Mages. In 1986, Hanschel studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada. He was a member of the Cologne Saxophone Mafia from 1987 to 2003, winning four German Record Critics' Awards and the SWR-Jazz Prize in 1999. Notable collaborations include work with Gabriele Hasler, Ernst Reijseger, and the Steffen Schorn Septett. His album Ornaments of Light and Sound (2002) features a unique concept combining new music and film projections. Hanschel's trio Triosphere won the "Jazzarts" ensemble competition in 2003. He received the WDR-Jazz Prize in 2018 for his work in improvisation.
