This year’s 21st International Music Festival Jazz Fest Sarajevo 2017 will take place from 31st October to 5th November, with a special opening concert of JOHN ZORN IMPROV NIGHT – A Benefit For The Stone.
The European premiere of The Bagatelles program was held at last year’s Jazz Fest, and John Zorn is coming back to Sarajevo again this year, together with 26 exceptional musicians from New York scene.
The festival opening is planned as an entirely improvised concert, where Zorn will perform alongside 10 musicians. John Zorn is one of the most important American composers of the late 20th and the early 21st century, and one of the most important alt saxophonists of our time whose opus includes more than 200 releases of various genres. He continuously collaborates with a great number of musicians, performs with Mike Patton, Thurston Moore, Bill Frisell, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, and his compositions were recorded by Pat Metheny, Trey Spruance, Marc Ribot and many others.
This year in Europe this American artist will be introducing the program that had its European premiere in Sarajevo at last year’s 20th Jazz Fest, while the next month he will be performing it in the newly opened Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg followed by a performance at Philharmonie de Paris.
Zorn will introduce the Musick and Magick program during three days – a total of 11 ensembles will be playing 9 concerts including European and World premieres. Beside the John Zorn program, 21st Jazz Fest will present a great number of artists from Europe and the US – musicians representing the younger and mid generation, and some true heroes of improvised music.
Festival program includes the 6th Music Meeting as well – regional educational program consisting of numerous lectures, talks and discussions.
The complete festival program of the 21st Jazz Fest will be announced by the end of March, while the ticket sales for all concerts will start in April.
Photo: John Zorn, The Bagatelles Marathon Sarajevo 2016 – rehearsal, Armin Smailović