The seventh edition of Plovdiv Jazz Fest with two Grammy winners and a special project
The festival presents two awards for overall contribution to Toma Sprostranov and Jazz FM radio

October 29 | 20:00 | House of Culture "Boris Hristov"
"Four young ladies sing jazz." | Tickets

October 30 | 16:00 | bar "Cotrabas"
Pavel Terziiski 's vocal workshop  | admission free and without pre-registration

October 30 | 20:00 | House of Culture "Boris Hristov"
Antonio Sanchez starring Thana Alexa, Lex Sadler and BIGYUKI | Tickets

October 31 | 17:00 | Dzhurkovi Gallery
Presentation of the book "The Sensitive Storyteller" by Olga Tokarchuk  | admission is free

October 31 | 20:00 | House of Culture "Boris Hristov"
Brad Meldhau Trio | Tickets

October 29-31 | House of Culture "Boris Hristov"
Jazz Posters Exhibition | admission is free

October 29-31 | Bee Bop Café
Jam Sessions  | entrance: BGN 10 on the spot

Grand Pass | October 29-31 | House of Culture "Boris Hristov"

:: Important!

The access to concerts from the Plovdiv Jazz Fest program will be with a Digital COVID certificate, which may include vaccination, or recovery in the last year, or a negative fast antigen test (48 hours before the start of the event), or PCR test (done 72 hours before the start of the event).

During the Plovdiv Jazz Fest (October 29, 30 and 31) the laboratory of the Medicus Alpha Clinic at 21 Veliko Tarnovo Street in Plovdiv, which is located next to the House of Culture "Boris Hristov", provided us with the opportunity the audience of Plovdiv Jazz Fest to obtain a 50% discount on the price of antigen tests. Thus, their value becomes BGN 20.

The laboratory provides an additional team and a green corridor for our guests from 16:00 h. to 17:00 h. each day of the festival. During the rest of the working hours, it will be possible to receive guests of the festival again, but they will need to plan more time, as the laboratory is very busy.

All you need is a purchased ticket for a concert from the program of Plovdiv Jazz Fest, which will certify that the test is intended for the audience of the festival.

This year Plovdiv Jazz Fest is held in the last days of October - from 29.10 to 31.10.2021.

Within three days of the festival, two Grammy winners - Antonio Sanchez and Brad Mehldau - will be guests, and its beginning will be set by the specially created project "Four young ladies sing jazz".

In the seventh edition of Plovdiv Jazz Fest will be awarded two Awards for overall contribution to jazz. One will be for the emblematic radio and television presenter Toma Sprostranov, who is among the most erudite and careful analysts of Bulgarian and world music in various genres. He is also one of the significant promoters of jazz in Bulgaria. "Curious Music Stave" is probably the oldest show on the radio, as it began in 1967 and continues to be broadcast to this day on Radio Plovdiv.

The second prize for overall contribution is also related to radio. It will be for the Jazz FM radio team. The only jazz radio in Bulgaria this year celebrated 20 years on air. Jazz FM radio has always promoted jazz music, placing special emphasis on the Bulgarian jazz scene.

October 29, 2021

On October 29, Plovdiv Jazz Fest will begin with the opening of the exhibition "Jazz Posters" and the concert "Four Young Ladies Sing Jazz".

The exhibition presents authors and events from different parts of the world, which will show trends and an interesting look at the jazz theme, which is actively present in the history of modern poster. The posters are part of the collection of the International Triennial of Stage Poster, which for the last 26 years has been the richest fund of Bulgarian and world posters. The exhibition is the first in a series dedicated to the theme of music in the Triennial's collection. The exhibition will be located in the lobby of the House of Culture "Boris Hristov" and will be available all day during the festival.

The first concert evening will start with the special production of Plovdiv Jazz Fest "Four young ladies sing jazz". On October 29 at 20:00 h. on the stage of the House of Culture "Boris Hristov" will rise four of the most impressive and distinctive voices of the Bulgarian jazz and pop scene - Veleka Tsankova, Edith Undzhian, Elena Sirakova and Miroslava Todorova. Together with them will be the jazz trio - Vasil Spasov (piano), Misho Ivanov (bass) and Atanas Popov (drums), as well as the string quartet with the participation of Ivelina Hristova (violin), Dilyana Dimitrova (violin), Maria Venkova (viola), Antoanina Yurgandzhieva (cello).

The vocal project includes songs from some of the iconic films of the 20th century, most of them in black and white. This aesthetic will be transformed into a new reading by maestro Vasil Spasov, who is one of the prominent jazz musicians, composers and orchestrators. The program will include many surprising versions of classics such as Moon River from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" or As Time Goes By from "Casablanca". "Four young ladies sing jazz" is the third such concert, created on the initiative of Plovdiv Jazz Fest, dedicated to the stage meeting of different singers, with diverse vocal experience and characteristic style. It is preceded by "Four Ladies Sing Jazz" (starring Andronia Popova-Roni, Beloslava, Miroslava Katsarova and Hilda Kazasyan) and "Four Gentlemen Sing Jazz" (with Orlin Pavlov, Svilen Noev, Stefan Valdobrev and Pavel Terziiski).

October 30, 2021

October 30 will begin with a workshop by musician Pavel Terziiski, dedicated to various vocal techniques. Pavel Terziiski is one of the most prominent and unconventional vocalists in Bulgaria, who combines his aesthetics with jazz, Brazilian bossa nova and electronic music. On Saturday at 16:00 h. in the bar "Contrabass" in Plovdiv he will take us to a different and surprising world of vocal art and improvisation, where each participant will be able to discover new horizons for themselves. The workshop will be held with free access and without prior registration.

From 20:00 h. on October 30 in the House of Culture "Boris Hristov" will be the concert of the four-time Grammy winner - drummer and composer Antonio Sanchez. In recent weeks, it has become clear that in addition to a brand new band, Antonio Sanchez will present his brand new project SHIFT // A Bad Hobre Project. Plovdiv is part of the "premiere tour" of Antonio Sanchez's forthcoming album in Europe. The project includes 12 singers, whom Sanchez invites with a single request - to provide him with a recording of a song of their choice and the approval for him to rework it. So he created an album in which the main role is (as usual) the voice, but also the drums. The concert of Antonio Sanchez with Thana Alexa, Lex Sadler and BIGYUKI is an exceptional opportunity for the Bulgarian audience to be among the first to hear Sanchez's innovative work.

Antonio Sanchez is one of the most important jazz drummers on the international stage. In recent years, he has recorded 9 albums with Pat Metheny and worked with Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Toots Thielmans. However, Antonio Sanchez also has a solo career as a composer.

In 2014, Sanchez's work became widely popular with the memorable music of the film Birdman (or the unexpected virtue of ignorance)" directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu.

October 31, 2021

The last day of the festival will begin with the presentation of the book "The Sensitive Storyteller" by Olga Tokarchuk. The conversation will be dedicated to the latest book of the Nobel laureate - the collection of essays "The Sensitive Storyteller" (translated from Polish by Krum Krumov), but also to important topics in Tokarchuk's work in general. Ina Ivanova will talk to the editor Nevena Dishlieva at the Dzhurkovi Gallery. The meeting with them and the work of Olga Tokarchuk will be on October 31 from 17:00 h.

The latest event of this year's program will be the visit of one of the most influential jazz pianists Brad Mehldau and his really famous trio, which includes two other remarkable musicians such as with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy. The band has had concerts around the world since the mid-90s. At the same time, Meldau developed his solo career, but a solid part of his work is connected with his trio. In 2020, Brad Meldau received a Grammy in the category of "Best Instrumental Jazz Album" for Finding Gabriel.

Today, his discography as a leader includes 25 albums, and another 16 have been created in collaboration.

Over the past three decades, in addition to his band, he has worked with a number of iconic jazz musicians such as Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Lee Konitz, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner and others. He has recorded with Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, and Charles Lloyd.

Brad Meldhau is an exceptional improviser who combines jazz, classical and pop music with great interest, and his performances are a truly intense experience.

Brad Meldhau trio will close the seventh edition of Plovdiv Jazz Fest on October 31 at 20:00 h.

Each of the evenings of Plovdiv Jazz Fest will end with the traditional jam sessions at Bee Bop Café. Their starting time will be 9:30 p.m.

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The access to the concerts of Plovdiv Jazz Fest is realized with Digital COVID certificate:
• vaccination;
• recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the last 12 months;
• negative result from a laboratory test for COVID-19: from an antigen test (48 hours before the concerts) or a PCR test (72 hours before the concert);
• Children up to 12 years of age enter free of charge and without a Digital Certificate;
• Children between the ages of 12 and 18 enter with a ticket without a Digital Certificate.

For people who need antigen tests, the laboratory of the Medicus Alpha Clinic provides a 50% discount on the tests. Thus, the price is BGN 20 per test.
The laboratory is located near the House of Culture "Boris Hristov" at 21 Veliko Tarnovo Street.
✦ The laboratory provides an additional team and a green corridor for our guests from ➧16: 00 h. to 17:00 h. each day of the festival.
✦ During the rest of the working hours, guests of the festival will be welcomed again, but it will be necessary to provide more time, because the laboratory is very busy.
✦ The only thing needed is to buy a concert ticket from the program of Plovdiv Jazz Fest, which will certify that the test is intended for the audience of the festival.

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Organizer of Plovdiv Jazz Fest is Blue M.
The event is held with the support of the Municipality of Plovdiv and is part of the Cultural Calendar of the Municipality of Plovdiv for 2021.
The festival is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund.