One of the most anticipated cultural and artistic events of the year, the Istanbul Jazz Festival, is spreading across the city’s streets and stages for the 32nd time this summer, reminding us once again of the unifying power of music. Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by Garanti BBVA, the festival kicked off with an awards ceremony and opening concert on Tuesday evening, July 1. At the ceremony held at the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to two pioneers of jazz and music publishing in Turkey, saxophonist Yalçın Ateş and television producer İzzet Öz. Following the ceremony, Chucho Valdés, one of the living legends of Latin jazz, took the stage at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater and opened the festival with a mesmerizing concert.
This year’s festival program spans a wide musical universe, ranging from classical music to electronic sounds, Latin rhythms to spoken word and funk. During the festival, which will be held from July 1 to 17, approximately 40 concerts will take place at prestigious venues in different neighborhoods of Istanbul. With a total of over 200 local and international artists taking the stage, the festival will fill the city with music throughout the summer.
Highlights of the Week at the Istanbul Jazz Festival
The first week of the festival will host many important performances. On Wednesday, July 2, the rising stars of Latin guitar, Hermanos Gutiérrez, will give their first major concert in Turkey at the Harbiye stage. The Gutiérrez brothers, who caught attention at Coachella and were described by Rolling Stone as having “hallucinogenic energy,” invite the audience into a magical atmosphere woven with two guitars.
The following evening, on Thursday, July 3, composer Max Richter, who blends classical music with electronic beats, will take the stage. Although Richter is known for his film and TV soundtracks (Shutter Island, The Leftovers, Arrival), he will take the audience on a journey of peace and reflection with pieces from his albums The Blue Notebooks and In A Landscape at his first festival concert in Istanbul.
On Friday, July 4, jazz pianist Grégory Privat will perform at the French Embassy. The musician, who combines chamber music with electronic fusion, represents the dynamic face of modern jazz alongside trumpeter Tolga Bilgin. At the end of the same week, Chiara Civello, Hakan Başar Trio, and Italian double bassist Michelangelo Scandroglio will bring jazz together with romance and elegance in the enchanting gardens of the Italian Consulate.
