Band-Bio
Band Bio
Wings on Strings is a six-piece string band that was founded in August 2022 at the Banjoree Camp in northern Germany. The group started as a scratch band and spontaneous concerts and rehearsal weekends followed. The six musicians live all over Germany: from Hamburg to the Ruhr area, northern Hessen to Munich. The band primarily plays old-time music and fiddle tunes from the Appalachian Mountains of America. Their influences include bands such as the Onlies, Lonesome Ace Stringband and Foghorn Stringband. All six musicians are very active and connected to their respective hometowns and local music scenes. Despite diverse backgrounds, they share a passion for handmade, danceable music.
Dina Lipowitsch: banjo, vocals, banjouke
Dina has been singing and playing in her bands (Humming Bee, Folky June) for several years. The banjo and old-time music are her great passions. She has been active with the organization "Musiker ohne Grenzen" for a long time, studied music and English, and has been a full-time primary school teacher in her hometown of Hamburg since the summer of 2023.
Eléna Samulowski: banjo, vocals, dance
Eléna has found her second home in America. There she discovered her passion for old-time and bluegrass music in the Appalachian Mountains on a trip from New York to Memphis in 2014. She learned to play and dance at various camps such as Clifftop, Mt. Airy, Swannanoa, Sore Fingers and others. She originally comes from Hamburg and has organized events and sessions there in addition to working in the booking business for local venues. She recently became part of the Hannover Hoedown organizing team and will be active at the Rudolstadt Festival for roots, folk and world music starting in June.
Stefan Bussemas: mandoline, vocals, dance instructions
Stefan was a wild grunge musician with a love for acoustic music in the '90s and is now a full-blooded folkie on the mandolin. He has been infected with the virus of traditional American music since 2010 and loves dance tunes from Germany, France, Denmark or Sweden. He likes to shake a leg and encourage others to do so. He is also involved in organizing the Mandoree, the Banjoree and the Lüdinghausener Folk-Bällen. Stefan can be seen on stage with the Pickin’ Twins Trio or Wings on Strings.
Steffen Dittmar: fiddle, vocals
Steffen was recently the tour manager on the Lonesome Ace Stringband's German tour. He is also the founder and organizer of the JAMuarys in Hessen, central Germany. He plays old-time as well as bluegrass fiddle in his other band, The Lonesome Wagoneers.
Leo Theisgen: guitar, vocals
Leo is in love with folk guitar playing since his youth and has played his way through the european bluegrass and old-time scene for years. He also got really into old-time fiddle playing recently but accompanies the Wings on Strings with his solid rhythm guitar. Leo is also active in the formations Nordic Holler and with his Duo Flatz & Scrubbz.
Andrea Plötz: double bass
Andrea lives either in Munich or she travels from camp to camp in her campervan called Mökki. The size of her instrument doesn't stop her from traveling. She hosts a monthly radio show Grassroots & Country Radioshow and is very active in the Munich music scene. She leads the Blue Monday sessions and events and has been active for Old-Time in the Alps since this year.