Grammy-nominated and award-winning artists, new British jazz sensations, bands and musicians from Finland, Venezuela, Great Britain, France, United States of America, Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, South Korea, Germany, Republic of Moldova and Romania are coming to Bucharest for a new edition of the Bucharest Jazz Festival. Organized between September 7-10, Bucharest Jazz Festival 2023 brings, on the one hand, three days of live concerts at the Fondului Plastic Complex (September 8-10) and a special concert preview with free access on the first day of the festival, on September 7, at ARCUB – Hanul Gabroveni. The festival that brought Jan Garbarek, Terence Blanchard, Lee Konitz and Marilyn Mazur to Bucharest, Bucharest Jazz Festival is a project organized by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the City of Bucharest.
ABOUT BUCHAREST JAZZ FESTIVAL
The festival that brought Jan Garbarek, Dave Douglas, Carmen Lundy, Lee Konitz and Roy Hargrove to Bucharest, Bucharest Jazz Festival is the most important jazz event in the Capital. It had its debut in George Enescu Square in 2011, under the name ARCUB Live Open Air – Jazz, Blues & More, and in 2014 it became Bucharest Jazz Festival, a unique mix of concerts, exhibitions and disc and book releases. A member of the European Jazz Network, Bucharest Jazz Festival puts Romania at the vanguard of the jazz phenomenon in Eastern Europe with ten editions of live concerts and conferences, jazz photography exhibitions, film screenings and music documentaries, masterclasses, workshops, releases of jazz records and books.
Bucharest Jazz Festival 2023
The 2023 edition of the Bucharest Jazz Festival is organized by the Capital City Hall, through ARCUB – the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest, and takes place between September 7-10 and brings, on the one hand, three days of live concerts at Combinatul Fondului Plastic (September 8 – 10) and a special preview of concerts with free access on the first day of the festival, on September 7, at ARCUB – Gabroveni Inn.
The new festival curator is Ana-Cristina Leonte, an important Romanian jazz voice, composer and band leader, who graduated from the department lead by the pianist and university teacher Mircea Tiberian, at the National Music University in Bucharest. She performed alongside numerous jazz musicians, but also collaborates with artists in different musical spheres, such as Electric Brother, the band Kumm and Akim Hash. She won numerous awards at jazz competitions, like the title for Best vocalist at the International Johnny Răducanu Contest (2015), Best Vocal Performance Award at Sibiu Jazz Festival (2013) and the award for Best Jazz Band with pianist Albert Tajti and bassist Michael Acker at Târgu-Mureş (2012).
BUCHAREST JAZZ FESTIVAL PROGRAM AT ARCUB – GABROVENI INN | SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
Bucharest Jazz Festival 2023 starts on Thursday, September 7th, with two free access concerts, at ARCUB – Gabroveni Inn. The pianist Sebastian Spanache opens the edition with a concert in Gabroveni Inn Passage, followed by Mircea Tiberian Quartet, an international collaboration between the great Romanian pianist and Claudio Puntin (Switzerland), Chris Dahlgren (USA) and Nadia Trohin (Romania/Moldavia). The concert includes, mainly, compositions by the members of the group, but also a few songs from old Romanian folklore.
BUCHAREST JAZZ FESTIVAL PROGRAM AT COMBINATUL FONDULUI PLASTIC | SEPTEMBER 8-10 2023
Bucharest Jazz Festival concerts relocate at Combinatul Fondului Plastic for the period September 8-10, and offer the jazz audience an effervescent mix of live performances and jam sessions by groups, orchestras, instrument soloists and voices of jazz from Europe and North America.
On Friday, September 8th, the program at Combinatul Fondului Plastic starts with a concert by Sorin Romanescu Trio, followed by “Conspiracy” – the Romania Big Band Radio concert, conducted by Tobias Hoffmann, with Vilkka Wahl as soloist. A true musical spectacle, the Romania orchestra concert is a live interpretation of the music from the latest album from the German artist Tobias Hoffmann, “Conspiracy”, together with guitarist Vilkka Wahl from Finland.
After the launch in 2023 of his latest album, “All One”, the Canadian artist Ben Wendel plays on September 8th at Bucharest Jazz Festival together with his quartet. An adventurous jazz saxophone player, Ben Wendel is known for his harmonious and sophisticated improv style, with post-bop, classical and post-rock influences. After becoming famous as a member of the Grammy-nominated group, Kneebody, Wendel draws the critics’ and public’s attention as a solo artist and composer.
Pianist Lukács Márton opens the concert series on Saturday, September 9th, with a live set of modern jazz and electronic music, where experimental sounds blend with groove rhythms and unique harmonies. The party atmosphere on Saturday evening continues at Combinatul Fondului Plastic with a concert by Romanian artists of Muntet. Inspired by Coltrane’s music, Alex Munte, Alex Cos, Michael Acker and Sergiu Fănică combine contemporary jazz with hip-hop references, ballads and electronic music.
Famous for their shows with an ever-evolving repertoire, freestyles and ad-hoc tracks, elevated lyrics and contagious dance grooves, Norzeatic & Qinta Spartă join Bucharest Jazz Festival for the first time, on Saturday, September 9th, with a hip-hop, jazz and electronic music concert.
Meshell Ndegeocello, the artist who has a Grammy award for Best R&B song, and no less than 11 nominations, is coming to Romania for the first time and will present her latest album, “The Omnichord Real Book”, new original material that explores his roots. An iconic figure in the world of music, Meshell Ndegeocello is known for her unique and versatile style that combines elements of funk, soul, jazz, R&B, hip-hop and rock in her creations and has performed with The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Alanis Morissette, James Blood Ulmer, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tony Allen, John Medeski, Billy Preston and Chaka Khan.
The public will have the opportunity to feel live his ability to transform sounds into real stories, on Saturday, September 9, at Kombinatul Fondului Plastic, and will enter a special universe, which bears the imprint of the unique way in which Meshell Ndegeocello transposes universally valid themes such as freedom and justice in a vibrant chain of harmonies and sounds.On the last day of the festival, Sunday, September 10, one of the newest arrivals on the Romanian jazz scene, the band TajNic, will take to the festival stage. Established at the beginning of 2022, the trio formed by Florian Nicolau, Albert Tajti and Iulian Nicolau presents at Combinatul Fondului Plastic their new contemporary jazz and improvised music project, a unique mix of funk, electronic, classical and contemporary elements, creating a fascinating and engaging experience for the audience.
The winner of the New Jazz Players competition at Bucharest Jazz Festival 2019, Anita Petruescu is holding an must-attend concert on September 10, together with her group made up of artists from the Netherlands. One of the most popular jazz singers of the new generation and winner of the Award for the best vocal performance at the “Johnny Răducanu” International Jazz Festival and Competition, the artist has performed alongside top musicians such as Mircea Tiberian, Sorin Romanescu, Iulian Nicolau and Albert Tajti. The Anita Petruescu Group concert on the last day of the festival is followed by the performance of the French artists from the Gin Tonic Orchestra, who have prepared for the Bucharest audience a future jazz, indie rock and broken beat concert.
One of the most acclaimed groups of the London scene, Nubiyan Twist closes Bucharest Jazz Festival 2023 with an explosive live act. Comprised of musicians, DJs and producers, the artistic collective Nubiyan Twist is renowned for the “pure joy of co-creating a unique experience on stage that is downright contagious” (Gigwise).
Tickets for Bucharest Jazz Festival 2023
Individual tickets for each of the 3 days of the festival at the Fondului Plastic Complex can be reserved for 100 lei for the seating area and 75 lei for the general access area. General subscriptions (ensures access to all concerts during the three days of the festival at Combinatul Fondului Plastic) are now available at the following prices: subscription for 3 days with a seat – 250 lei; subscription with general access – 200 lei. Individual tickets and general subscriptions can be purchased online at arcub.ro, Entertix.ro, Myticket.ro, in partner stores and at the ARCUB ticket office (strada Lipscani 84-90). Individual tickets and general subscriptions are valid for the concerts from September 8-10 of the Plastic Fund Combination. Children up to the age of 10 have free access.
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Event organized by The Capital City Hall, though ARCUB – The Cultural Center of the Municipality of Bucharest.
Main partner: Radio Europa FM
With the support of: Kaufland România, PROEDUS – Center for Educational and Sports Projects of the Municipality of Bucharest
Media partners: Black Rhino Radio, București FM, Agerpres.ro, STB, Zile și nopți, Daily Magazine
