Final date for 56th Jazz on the Odra Festival

This year Jazz on the Odra will feature aspiring musicians, Wrocław themes, and more concise form, to help facilitate the festival.

The matter, if this year’s edition of Jazz on the Odra Festival will even be happening, was up in the air a few times. Pushing back the date from April to October initially solved the problem, but did not guarantee festival’s fate. Restrictions imposed on organising cultural events in Poland and the air travel restrictions around the world resulted in many difficult decisions that the organizers had to make in recent days, but in the end… jazz is coming to Wrocław. – To preserve the long standing tradition, and to salvage the months of preparations, we’ve decided on a symbolic formula. One of the most important aspects of the Jazz on the Odra festival is the Jazz Individuality competition, which has often been the means of jump starting the careers of aspiring musicians, and that’s what we want to focus on. The competition will be punctuated by concerts that we can hold considering the current sanitary restrictions – says Krzysztof Maj, Director-General of Culture Zone Wrocław.

The programme has been shortened to two days – October 9 and 10 – beginning with the performances by the competition participants. There are eight finalists this year: Marcin Pater Trio, Gawroński / Lechki Consolidation Collective, Damian Hyra Quartet, Chojnacki/Miguła Contemplations, Semiotic Quintet, Unleashed Cooperation, Bogdan Skiedrzyński, and Ola Błachno Quartet. First day of the festival will end with a Wrocław-themed performance, that is the VOICES concert by Piotr Wojtasik. The artist has invited outstanding jazz musicians and the White Stork Synagogue Choir under the direction of Stanisław Rybarczyk to take part in his new project. On the second day the evening will be split into two acts. The first involves a group of the finest Polish aspiring jazz performers, that is: Kasia Pietrzko, Jakub Mizeracki, Maciej Kądziela, Kacper Smoliński, Tomasz Chyła, Roman Chraniuk, and Adam Zagórski.  Support of young musicians has always been a part of the festival’s mission, which is why the organiser without hesitation decided on the seven names under the auspices of Jazz Forum Talents. The final concert will be performed by the Możdżer Lemańczyk Łosowski trio, meaning the festival’s artistic director Leszek Możdżer accompanied by jazz bassist Piotr Lemańczyk and Tomasz Łosowski on drums. Competition performances as well as the evening concerts will be held at the Impart theatre hall, which has sufficient space for a larger audience, considering the current sanitary restrictions. Also – for the first time ever – the performances by the finalists of the Jazz Individuality competition will be broadcast not only on Radio Wrocław Kultura, but also online.

Any tickets purchased thus far are eligible for a refund. Tickets for the new concert dates – that is 9 and 10 October – will be sold separately – Culture Zone Wrocław will launch the sales on 15 September (Tuesday). Due to sanitary restrictions the number of tickets will be very limited. The largest production of this year’s edition of the festival, that is the Możdżer Danielsson Fresco & Holland Baroque concert – which is part of a tour promoting the artists’ latest work – as well as the performance of Kasia Pietrzko Trio, have been postponed to next year. The event will take place on 20 May 2021 at the Centennial Hall. Purchased tickets remain valid.

PROGRAMME

9th of October (Friday)

7:00 p.m.            Jazz Personality Contest 2020
9:30 p.m.            Piotr Wojtasik: VOICES

10th of October (Saturday)

5:00 p.m.           Jazz Personality Contest 2020
7:30 p.m.            Jazz Forum Talents | Możdżer – Lemańczyk – Łosowski