European Veterans Championships | 28 Jun 2023

Joja Wendt: Table tennis and music in perfect harmony

There are many good tanle tennis players in the world, and quite a few good musicians. There might not be anyone who combines the two as well as Joja WENDT though.

In Sandefjord he is participating in the European Veterans Championships and when he is at home in hos native town of Hamburg he plays for the German club Oberalster. But it is as likely to meet him at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York or at ballrooms and concert halls world wide.

WENDT were trained as a piano player in the Netherlands and in New York. Destiny paved the way for co work with famous artist such as Joe Cocker and Chuck Berry and his music travels through genres such as jazz, pop, heavy metal and classical music.

He has performed at the before mentioned Carnegie Hall, were he was the first to introduce boogie woogie to the music fans. He has also played at the opening of the new field to German Football Club Schalke 04 in front of 80 000 people. Still he has never played in front of as many table tennis players as on his concert in Sandefjord.

In Sandefjord he went directly from a match at the table tennis table to the concert hall and gave the fully packed venue a breathtaking table tennis inspired concert that lifted the ceiling.

WENDT opening was Rakhmaninov and he continued with wonderful pieces by many of the best composers wchich resulted in standing oviations by the cheerful crowd several times. He finished with a fantastic interpretation of Purple Rain, another prove of his amazing skills to combine and different musical expressions, maybe influenced by his table tennis talent?