Akbank Jazz Festival brings jazz to the city in its 35th year

Organized by Akbank Sanat and BKM, which supports the arts in every discipline, the Akbank Jazz Festival, one of Türkiye's most established jazz festivals, provided unforgettable moments for jazz enthusiasts this year, as it does every year. Bringing the diverse flavors of jazz to every corner of the city, the 35th Akbank Jazz Festival, "The City's Jazz State," welcomed 15,000 music lovers.

The festival, which featured more than 200 musicians, began with İlhan Erşahin's Istanbul Sessions at the Museum Gazhane and the Nilüfer Verdi Trio "Playing Tunes For Peace" concerts, a project of Türkiye's first female jazz pianist Nilüfer Verdi, at the Yeldeğirmeni Art Center. The festival, which was met with great interest from jazz enthusiasts, featured performances by world-renowned artists such as Chief Adjuah, The Brandee Younger Trio, Joel Lyssarides & Georgios Prokopiou, Enji Niechec, Eliane Elias, Aaron Parks Little Big, Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martínez, Raül Refree, Kinga Glyk, Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, and RYMDEN, as well as performances by many names from the Turkish jazz scene, including Önder Focan & Yavuz Darıdere "Legendary Hammond Trio," Ahmet Ali Arslan "Monastır," Ali Perret "Octopus Band," Dilan Balkay, Sista Sound, Kind of Six, Yeşim Pekiner Quintet "Reflections on a Jade," Ömercan Şakar "Project OM 4.0," Batu Şallıel & İstanbul Swing Cats, Sinem İslamoğlu Group "Neo-Soul Vibes," and Berkay Sümbül Quintet.

Mehmet Uluğ Night, a traditional section of the festival, once again showcased the unifying power of music. As part of Adam Rudolph's "Invisible Threads" project, the concert, featuring Okay Temiz and Hacı Tekbilek, took the audience on a transcultural musical journey. One of the festival's special projects, Jazz Meets Rap, combined the improvisational power of jazz and rap, creating a unique experience. Jazz Clubs Night revitalized Istanbul's jazz heritage, bringing venues like Bova, Pera 77, and Nardis Jazz Club to the center of the festival. All Night Jazz, which blended jazz with electronic tunes, delivered a high-energy night with DJ sets from Jitwam, Grup Ses, and Garan Garan.

A side event program, featuring a vibrant and sonic mix of panels and workshops, where music brought together a wide range of disciplines, also attracted considerable attention. The Jazz Network Panel opened a discussion on the media visibility of jazz in Türkiye, while the "Recording Your Musical Journey" workshop, organized by Üretim Kayıtı and featuring Maya Perest, offered a new perspective on musicians' creative processes. The "Crazy Kids Orchestra" workshop, designed for children of all ages, enriched the rhythmic and sonic worlds of young participants through soundpainting. A special edition of the festival, "These Songs Ruined Me," hosted by Bant Mag. and featuring Ayben, 3pillie, and Deniz Taşar, brought together music and the stories surrounding it. Guests shared the songs that have left their mark on their lives and the stories behind them. The "Turning Points in Jazz History" panel explored the musicians and movements that shaped jazz history. The Jazz Listening Club session, facilitated by fugamundi and featuring author Hakan Bıçakçı, explored examples of how jazz is used as a thriller in film. The "Literature and Jazz" conversation, moderated by Hülya Tunçağ and featuring İnci Aral and Esra Kayıkçı, highlighted the multilayered connections jazz forges with literature, language, and sound.

Throughout the festival, special content broadcast on Akbank Sanat's digital channels brought the excitement of the concert stage to the online environment. The project, which brought together contemporary dance and jazz with the motto "There's Always Dance in the City's Jazz Scene," continued. Performances featuring dance artists dancing to the music of the artist performing at the venue were broadcast online on Akbank Sanat's YouTube channel.

UAV

Reporter: News Center