16. Lublin Jazz Festiwal: Forever Ahead

Jazz returns to the Centre for Culture – and the return promises to be exceptional. This summer and fall, the Centre will be filled with the sounds of contemporary jazz: from intimate meetings to concerts full of energy, improvisation, and surprises.

This year’s edition will take place in two parts – in July and September. It is an invitation to listen to music that defies convention and constantly pushes boundaries.

The poster and visual identity for this year’s edition were designed by Anna Pałosz.

The programme will combine the diverse faces of contemporary jazz: from acoustic sounds and improvisation, to electronics and performative. Artists representing diverse traditions and musical experiences will meet on stage, creating a space for dialogue, mindfulness, and creative exchange. This is a festival open to experimentation and spontaneity – a place where jazz resonates as a language of freedom, encounter, and shared musical experience.

PROGRAMME:

July 15 / Wednesday
6:00 PM – Hear Color, See Jazz. Lublin Group and Friends – exhibition opening / MBP OKNA Gallery / free admission
7:00 PM – Austrian Cultural Forum: Helene Glüxam (AT) / MBP OKNA Gallery / free admission

July 16 / Thursday
Jazzinspiracje Competition / Premiere
7:00 PM – Jazzinspiracje Competition Finalists Concert / The Inner Courtyard / free admission
8:00 PM – Jazzinspiracje Competition Finalists Concert / The Inner Courtyard / free admission
9:00 PM – Jazzinspiracje Competition Finalists Concert / The Inner Courtyard / free admission

July 17 / Friday
7:00 PM – Błoto (PL) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 35/45
9:00 PM – The Young Mothers (US/NO) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 35/45
Day ticket: PLN 55/70

July 18 / Saturday
7:00 PM – Unleashed Cooperation & Anna Gadt (PL) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 30/40
9:00 PM – Premiere: Tomeka Reid Quartet (US) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 40/50
10:30 PM – Research Opportunities Foundation: Tadeusz Cieślak Solo (PL) / Column Hall / Free admission
Day ticket: PLN 55/70

July 19 / Sunday
7:00 PM – Premiere: Tomasz Chyła Quintet (PL) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 35/45
9:00 PM – Pre-premiere: Pascal Niggenkemper / Vasco Trilla / Artur Majewski (UK/ES/PL) / The Inner Courtyard / PLN 35/45
Day ticket: PLN 55/70

One of the highlights of the programme is the concert by Tomeka Reid and her quartet. The artist is a leading figure in the contemporary improvisation scene, and her music captivates with the combination of imagination, groove, and freedom that always goes into unexpected directions. Also performing on stage is Helene Glüxam, a double bassist and composer from Vienna. In her solo project, she combines double bass and voice, creating intimate, multi-layered forms. Another bad to perform is Błoto, one of the most expressive bands on the Polish scene that combes the energy of hip-hop and powerful, raw rhythms with jazz improvisation. Their concerts have the intensity of a club live act without sacrificing their improvisational freedom. The Young Mothers, a band that defies genre definition, is also coming to Lublin. Jazz, electronica, hip-hop, and experimental rock come together in a vibrant, unpredictable whole. Then, Unleashed Cooperation feat. Anna Gad is a project based on attentive listening and collaborative improvisation, in which lyrical moments flow seamlessly into more intense, open forms.

Tadeusz Cieślak’s original project, “Sonostoria,” will premiere during the Festival. It is a project with music focused on the relationship between sound, silence, and space – sparse, yet intensely engaging. The programme also includes a concert by the Tomasz Chyła Quintet, one of the most interesting Polish jazz bands of recent years. Their distinctive blend of jazz improvisation with rock energy and powerful rhythms gives their concerts a unique power and concert-like scale. Fans of improvisation will also enjoy three distinctive figures from the European scene: Pascal Niggenkemper, Vasco Trilla, and Artur Majewski. The concert is based on mindfulness, dialogue, and the spontaneous construction of musical form in the here and now.

The festival will also be accompanied by an exhibition of Lublin Jazz Festival posters – an opportunity to see how the visual language of the event has evolved over the years and how different artists have interpreted its musical character. This year’s poster was designed by Anna Pałosz.

TICKETS:

Single event: 35-50 PLN
All-day ticket: PLN 55/70
Carnet: PLN 160/185 (each ticket includes a poster from this year’s edition)
Available at the box office and online