Leopolis Jazz Fest (previously Alfa Jazz Fest) is an international jazz festival, annually held in June in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

(

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

) since 2011. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' included Leopolis Jazz Fest in the list of the best European festivals.

Overview

The festival was initiated by

Mikhail Fridman Mikhail Maratovich Fridman (also transliterated Mikhail Friedman; ; ; born 21 April 1964) is a Ukrainian-born, Russian–Israeli tycoon and Russian oligarchs, oligarch. He is one of the co-founders of Alfa Group, Alfa-Group, a multinational Rus ...

, one of a shareholders of Alfa-Bank Ukraine and a native of

, in 2011. The founder and the title sponsor of the festival till 2017 was

Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) The Public JSC Sense Bank () is one of the largest Ukrainian banks. Prior to its nationalization in July 2023, it was owned by ABH Financial Limited and ABH Ukraine Limited. Previously called Alfa-Bank (legally it was not connected with the Russ ...

(from 2022 Sense Bank), and therefore the festival was called Alfa Jazz Fest. In 2017, the festival was renamed to Leopolis Jazz Fest to indicate its venue (Leopolis is the city's name in Latin). In 2017, after the festival was renamed, the management of the festival was transferred to the organizing committee. At the moment, all trademarks and copyrights belong to the organizing committee. The festival is managed by a team of manager
Festival team
Organizer of the festival: NGO "LEOPOLIS JAZZ". On September 18, 2024, the creation of the legal entity of the non-governmental organization "LEOPOLIS JAZZ" was registered. The main direction of the Organization's activity is the development and popularization of jazz music in Ukraine. The founders of the Organization are the festival team representative

In addition to concerts of jazz musicians from around the world, the festival also hosts jam sessions, master-classes and autograph sessions with global

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

stars. An annual awards ceremony, "Leopolis Jazz Music Awards" dedicated to

Eddie Rosner Adolph Ignatievich Rosner, known professionally as Ady Rosner and Eddie Rosner (26 May 1910 – 8 August 1976) was a German, Polish, and Soviet jazz trumpeter sometimes called "The White Louis Armstrong" or "Polish Louis Armstrong". He was a pris ...

(previously "Alfa Jazz Music Awards") is held during gala concert of the festival in Lviv. These awards are established to honour the artists who have made significant contribution to the development of jazz music. The winner is selected by a wide range of experts, including music critics, prominent culture persons, public and government officials, journalists and entrepreneurs from different countries.

Venue

The festival takes place on three stages: • the main festival stage in the Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Culture Park: the stage bears the name of famous Soviet jazz musician

(ticket required) • a stage on the central square of the city: Rynok Square (free entry) • a stage in a historic part of the city: Pototski Palace square (free entry)

History

Leopolis Jazz Fest 2022 / 2023 The festival was canceled due to russia's war against Ukraine. The festival team involves musicians for the international support of Ukraine: - for International Jazz Day 2023 a charity online broadcast of the concert of Lars Danielsson Group Liberetto III & INSO-Lviv from Leopolis Jazz Fest 2018 was organized; - on the traditional festival days (the last weekend of June) in 2023 – Leopolis Jazz Weekend charity online broadcasts, when everyone can donate via UNITED24 – the official fundraising platform of Ukraine. Leopolis Jazz Fest 2021 The 10th Leopolis Jazz Fest took place on June 24–28, 2021. During five days, about 200 musicians from 18 countries of the world performed on the stages of the Leopolis Jazz Fest. Headliners of Leopolis Jazz Fest 2021:

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

Chris Botti Christopher Stephen Botti ( ; born October 12, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. In 2013, Botti won the Grammy Award in the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album, Best Pop Instrumental Album category, for the album Impressions ...

, Avishai Cohen Trio "Arvoles",

Kamasi Washington Kamasi Tii Washington (born February 18, 1981) is an American arranger, composer and jazz saxophonist. Archived July 9, 2015. He is a founding member of the jazz collective West Coast Get Down. Career Washington was born in 1981 and raise ...

, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

Jan Lundgren Jan Lundgren (born 22 March 1966) is an internationally active Swedish jazz musician. He is a pianist, composer, and senior lecturer at the Malmö Academy of Music, where he has taught since autumn 1991, as well as the artistic director of the ...

, Harold López-Nussa, Itamar Borochov, Kathrine Windfeld, Pianoboy. For guests and residents of Lviv, two stages worked in the city center with free access - on Rynok Square and in the courtyard of the Potocki Palace. The concerts were held with the participation of leading European groups and bands from

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Most of the performances on these stages traditionally took place with the support of embassies and cultural institutions. The festival was held in compliance with all quarantine measures: the number of guests in the parterre and picnic areas was significantly reduced; to control the number of people, the entrance to the picnic areas was carried out with tickets with a symbolic price; all festival guests who bought tickets, as well as musicians, the organizing committee and contractors underwent mandatory testing for

coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...

. This year, there were three picnic zones for the guests of the festival, where concerts of the main stage dedicated to Eddie Rosner were broadcast on the large screens. The largest picnic area was traditionally located on the territory of the Yunist stadium in the Bohdan Khmelnytsky park. It was also possible to comfortably accommodate in the

Kyivstar Kyivstar () is a Ukrainian telecommunications company, providing communication services and data transmission based on a broad range of fixed and mobile technologies, including 4G (LTE) services, in Ukraine. The Kyivstar mobile network covers a ...

picnic c area at the lower entrance to the park. At the top entrance to the park was the Staropramen picnic area. Wynton Marsalis became the winner of the International music award "Leopolis Jazz Music Awards 2021". During the festival, master classes for musicians and listeners were traditionally held in Lviv at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy. Leopolis Jazz Fest 2020 Leopolis Jazz Fest 2020 has been postponed until 2021. The X anniversary of the Festival was scheduled for 25–29 June 2020 in Lviv. The decision to postpone the festival was made due to the large-scale spread of COVID-19. The new dates for Leopolis Jazz Fest are 24–28 June 2021 (Thursday-Monday). Leopolis Jazz Fest 2019 On 26–30 June 2019, Lviv hosted the 9th International Jazz Festival Leopolis Jazz Fest. About 300 musicians from 15 countries gave their performances on the stages of Leopolis Jazz Fest during 5 days. Leopolis Jazz Fest 2019 headliners included Adrien Brandeis, an award-winning young French jazz pianist and composer;

Snarky Puppy Snarky Puppy is an American jazz fusion band led by bassist Michael League. Founded in 2004, Snarky Puppy combines a variety of jazz idioms, rock, world music, and funk and has won five Grammy Awards. Although the band has worked with vocalis ...

, modern fusion and funk musicians, winners of three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

; Etienne Mbappe & the Prophets, a renowned Cameroon bassist and composer; American composer and arranger

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

with his quintet; a pianist and multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer

Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...

and his band, The Absolute Monster Gentlemen; a world-renowned pianist and composer, holder of 22 Grammy Awards,

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

with his project, My Spanish Heart Band; American singer and pianist

Peter Cincotti Peter Cincotti (born July 11, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter. He began playing piano at the age of three. While in high school, he regularly performed in clubs throughout Manhattan. In 2003, Cincotti's debut album, produced by Phil Ramon ...

; as well as one of the most famous British singers,

Lisa Stansfield Lisa Jane Stansfield (born 11 April 1966) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her career began in 1980 when she won the singing competition ''Search for a Star''. After appearances in various television shows and releasing her first ...

. The performance of well-known Canadian singer and pianist

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

, who came to Ukraine for the first time, became a sensation for the festival guests. On the stage, she was accompanied by star musicians, including

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist. T ...

, one of the leading saxophonists of our time, a unique guitarist Marc Ribot, who plays music ranging from free jazz to rock music, Robert Hurst, one of the leading jazz contrabassists, a holder of 7 Grammy awards, and a renowned drummer

Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, record producer, DJ and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He met Chicago rapper Common and fellow Detroit musician J Dilla both in 1996, and served as an extensive contributor for releases by both ...

. The performance of one of the most globally famous vocal improvisers, due to which voice turned into a musical instrument,

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and conductor (music), conductor. His Vocal pedagogy, vocal techniques include singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in Pitch (music), pitch—fo ...

with his program Gimme5 (circlesongs) was unusual and exciting. A concert hall in Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Park turned into an impromptu choir, which included about 80 persons. Winner of «Leopolis Jazz Music Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner became Kenny Barron. The visitors and residents of the city had a chance to visit two stages in the city center with free access, on the Rynok Square and in the courtyard of Potocki Palace. The concerts included the leading European bands and bands from Austria, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, France, and Switzerland. Most performances at these stages were traditionally supported by embassies and institutions. The festival guests could enjoy two complimentary picnic areas, where large LED screens broadcast the concerts from Eddie Rosner’s main stage (picnic area on the main alley of the park with the support of Kyivstar and Jazz Picnic at Yunist stadium in Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Park). The guests traditionally watched a very intense program: a souvenirs fair, entertainments for children with an interactive zone, workshops and a carousel, food courts, as well as concerts of street music festival winners. On June 28, on the

Constitution Day Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitut ...

of Ukraine,

TNMK TNMK or Tanok na Maidani Kongo ( ; "Dance at the Congo Square") is the most successful Ukrainian hip hop, Ukrainian hip-hop group. They are known for clever, yet often tongue-in-cheek, lyrics; mixing hip-hop with Rock music, rock, funk and jazz ...

, Skhid-Side and Dennis Adu’s Big Band with an exclusive Jazzy DeLuxe show performed at the Rynok Square Stage. Traditionally, Leopolis Jazz Fest became a venue for master classes for musicians and listeners in Lviv National Music Academy named after Mykola Lysenko. Vsi.Svoyi, the largest platform of Ukrainian brands, presented a separate "gift area" in Jazz Picnic zone for the first time as a part of Leopolis Jazz Fest. Leopolis Jazz Fest 2018 From 27 June to 1 July 2018, the 8th International Leopolis Jazz Fest took place in Lviv. More than 170 musicians from 16 countries around the world performed on three city stages in Lviv over 5 days. Special guests of the Leopolis Jazz Fest 2018 included legendary avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flautist Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, featuring

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

Reuben Rogers Reuben Renwick Rogers (born November 15, 1974) is a jazz bassist from the Virgin Islands. Biography Born November 15, 1974, and raised in the Virgin Islands, Rogers was exposed to varieties of music that included calypso, reggae, gospel an ...

Eric Harland Eric Harland (born November 8, 1976, in Houston, Texas) is an American jazz drummer. In addition to leading his own group, Harland is a member of Charles Lloyd's Quartet, Dave Holland's Prism, James Farm with Joshua Redman, and Taylor Eigsti ...

and

Greg Leisz Gregory Brian Leisz ( ; born September 18, 1949) is an American musician. He is a songwriter, recording artist, and producer. He plays guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Biography Leisz grew up in the garage ba ...

;

Jamie Cullum Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He h ...

, an outstanding British vocalist, pianist and composer, and Ronnie Scotts Jazz Award winner; R+R=NOW (Reflect + Respond = Now), a project by three-time Grammy Award winner

Robert Glasper Robert Andre Glasper (born April 5, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and Arrangement, musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from ...

; leading fusion and jazz guitar player, as well as Grammy Award winner

Lee Ritenour Lee Mack Ritenour ( ; born January 11, 1952) is an American jazz guitarist who has been active since the late 1960s. Biography Ritenour was born in 1952, in Los Angeles, California. At the age of eight he started playing guitar and four years l ...

and

Dave Grusin Robert David Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, incl ...

, an American composer, arranger, producer, pianist and orchestra leader, as well as a ten-time Grammy Award winner, feat.

Melvin Lee Davis Melvin Lee Davis is an American bass player, vocalist, keyboard player, producer, TV composer and engineer based in Orange County, California. He is the music director for Grammy-award winning artist Chaka Khan and has recorded with The Pointer ...

and Wes Ritenour;

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...

– a great American jazz pianist, composer and arranger;

Jacob Collier Jacob Collier (born 2 August 1994) is a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator. His music incorporates a combination of jazz and elements from other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reharmo ...

– singer, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist;

Mario Biondi Mario Biondi (born Mario Ranno, 28 January 1971) is an Italian singer. Early life Mario Biondi was born in Catania, Italy, to local Sicilian parents. He is the son of popular song singer Giuseppe Ranno, known by the pseudonym Stefano Biondi ...

– Italian soul vocalist;

Stefano Bollani Stefano Bollani (born 5 December 1972) is an Italian composer, pianist and singer, also active as a writer and a television presenter. He has worked with such musicians as Gato Barbieri, Chick Corea, Bill Frisell, Sol Gabetta, Richard Gallia ...

- Napoli Trip – a virtuoso Italian pianist, composer, singer and TV host who performed with Napoli Trip;

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

– an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, arranger and two-time Grammy winner. Lars Danielsson Group Liberetto III & INSO-Lviv also performed at the Leopolis Jazz Fest. A special exclusive programme was introduced to visitors of the Leopolis Jazz Fest by Swedish contrabass and bass player, cellist, composer and arranger

Lars Danielsson Lars Danielsson (born 5 September 1958) is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer, and record producer. Biography Danielsson was born in Smålandsstenar, and was educated at the music conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays double bass, electric bass ...

, alongside the Academic Symphony Orchestra INSO-Lviv. The best jazz musicians from various countries performed on Leopolis Jazz Fest stages, among others, the US, Great Britain, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Canada, Poland, Denmark, Lithuania, and Luxembourg. Ahmad Jamal was the winner of the International Eddie Rosner Leopolis Jazz Music Award in 2018. Over the past few years, organising concerts by popular Ukrainian musicians on Constitution Day in Ukraine has become a festival tradition. As part of Leopolis Jazz Fest 2018, the ONUKA band performed on 28 June on the Rynok Square stage. On 1 July, to celebrate

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

, the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine prepared a varied programme for festival visitors: a visit to Canada House/Maison du Canada featuring a traditional pancake breakfast, an exhibition by Canada House, a street ice rink for

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

, as well as performances by Canadian musicians. In 2018, the Leopolis Jazz Fest started a partnership with USAID. A project to increase the accessibility and environmental friendliness of the Leopolis Jazz Fest has been implemented with the support of the Join up! Programme to Promote Public Activism. During the festival, training sessions on accessibility for the disabled, and environmental consciousness were held for staff and volunteers. The necessary infrastructure was provided for people with disabilities at the festival: separate platforms near the stages, ramps, special rubber and metal covers and accessible toilets. To promote environmental consciousness, special containers for sorting and recycling rubbish were used at the Leopolis Jazz Fest, and for children, a playground called Sorting Together. Traditionally, the festival offered three freely accessible picnic areas where visitors could watch all the concerts on the main stage on large LED screens. Master classes, numerous jam sessions, and film screenings of rare videos and jazz films were presented for festival visitors, prepared by the leading figure of the Ukrainian jazz movement, Leonid Goldstein. Alfa Jazz Fest 2017 From June 23 till June 27 the seventh International Jazz Festival Leopolis Jazz Fest was held in Lviv. Among the headliners of Leopolis Jazz Fest 2017:

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, or simply The Big Phat Band, is an 18-piece Orchestral jazz, jazz orchestra led by Gordon Goodwin that combines the big band swing of the 1930s and 1940s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion. Since ...

; Buika;

Yellowjackets A yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow vespid wasp. Yellowjacket(s) or Yellow Jacket(s) may also refer to: Places * Yellow Jacket, Colorado, an unincorporated town * Yellow Jacket, Florida, an unincorporated area in Dixie County, Florida Arts, ...

; China Moses;

Gregory Porter Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He has twice won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album: first in 2014 for '' Liquid Spirit'' and then again in 2017 for '' Take Me to the Alley''. Ear ...

;

Chucho Valdes Chucho is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Chucho Avellanet (born 1941), Puerto Rican singer and comedic actor *Christian Benítez (1986–2013), Ecuadorian footballer nicknamed 'Chucho' *Chucho Castillo (born 1944), former Mexi ...

; trio Mare Nostrum: Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Jan Lundgren;

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

;

Chick Corea Elektric Band Chick Corea Elektric Band was a jazz fusion band, led by keyboardist and pianist Chick Corea and founded in 1986 in New York City. The band was nominated twice at the Grammy Awards. The sixth band album, a tribute one named ''Chick Corea Elektric ...

. Also within the festival a joint project of jazz legends and Ukrainian musicians was presented - the Israeli jazz contrabassist, composer, singer and arranger Avishai Cohen performed his plays together with the Academic Symphony Orchestra "INSO-Lviv". Traditionally, in 2017 a wide geography of participants was presented: bands from Austria, Great Britain, Israel, Spain, Italy, Cuba, Germany, Luxembourg, USA, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Sweden participated in the festival. In total for 5 days the festival was attended by more than 200 musicians from 15 countries worldwide. The owner of the International Music Award "Leopolis Jazz Fest Awards" dedicated to

in 2017 became

. The award ceremony traditionally took place during the festival days. Also master classes, photo exhibitions, jazz film shows and jams sessions were held within the Leopolis Jazz Fest 2017. Alfa Jazz Fest 2016 The 6th International jazz festival Alfa Jazz Fest was held on June 24–28, 2016 in Lviv. Traditionally the best jazz performers of the United States, Europe and Ukraine performed at the three stages in the center of Lviv. Headliners of Alfa Jazz Fest 2016:

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

with

Antonio Sanchez Anthony Sanchez, Antonio Sanchez or Tony Sanchez may refer to: Sports * Antón (footballer) (1914–2005), Spanish footballer born ''Antonio Sánchez Valdés'' * Antonio Sánchez (boxer) (1905–?), Spanish boxer * Antonio Sánchez (footballer, ...

, Linda Oh &

Gwilym Simcock Gwilym Simcock (born 24 February 1981) is a Welsh pianist and composer working in both jazz and classical music. He was chosen as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the ''Evening Standard'' in 2009. He was featured on the fr ...

Branford Marsalis Quartet Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

with special guest

Kurt Elling Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in cho ...

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval (born November 6, 1949) is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, timbalero, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 ...

10 time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

winner,

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer, who has won five Grammy Awards for her albums. Early life and education Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mothe ...

with Peter Martin,

Romero Lubambo Romero Lubambo (born 1955) is a Brazilian jazz guitarist. Career He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up with American jazz and classical music in the house because his uncle played guitar, lived next door, and visited frequently. Luba ...

Reginald Veal Reginald Veal (born November 5, 1963) is an American jazz bassist and multi-instrumentalist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Veal grew up in New Orleans where he began piano lessons at a very early age. After receiving a bass guitar as a gift from hi ...

Terreon Gully Terreon Deautri Gully (born December 28, 1972) is an American drummer from East St. Louis, Illinois. Career Gully has performed with various musicians and genres, including the Christian McBride Band, saxophonist Ron Blake, vibraphonist Stefo ...

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...

presents:

Emily's D+Evolution ''Emily's D+Evolution'' is the fifth studio album by American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 by Concord Records. Background The album was co-produced by Spalding and longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. On th ...

. The ceremony of the International Music Award «Alfa Jazz Fest Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner was traditionally held within the festival. The winner of «Alfa Jazz Fest Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner in 2016 became Pat Metheny. Alfa Jazz Fest 2015 The fifth anniversary jazz festival «Alfa Jazz Fest» was held on June 25–29, 2015. More than 100 musicians from 10 countries (Germany, Austria, the USA, Japan, Sweden, Cuba, France, Poland and Ukraine) performed in Lviv during five festival days. Among the most famous - American jazz legends:

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary comp ...

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

, Cuban clarinetist

Paquito D'Rivera Francisco de Jesús Rivera Figueras (born 4 June 1948), known as Paquito D'Rivera, is a Cuban-American alto saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. He was a member of the Cuban songo band Irakere and, since the 1980s, he has established him ...

and Hiromi, famous jazz pianist from Japan. The winner of the International Music Award «Alfa Jazz Fest Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner in 2015 became Herbie Hancock, American jazz pianist and composer, 14-time Grammy Award winner, one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century. The awarding ceremony was traditionally held during the festival in Lviv. Alfa Jazz Fest 2014 The 4th International jazz festival Alfa Jazz Fest was held on June 12–15, 2014 in Lviv. Headliners Alfa Jazz Fest 2014:

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

Dee Dee Bridgewater Dee Dee Bridgewater (née Denise Garrett, May 27, 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress. She is a three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a Tony Award-winning stage actress. For 23 years, she was the host of National ...

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

, Miles Electric Band,

Lucky Peterson Judge Kenneth "Lucky" Peterson (December 13, 1964 – May 17, 2020) was an American musician who played contemporary Blues music, blues, fusing soul music, soul, Rhythm and blues, R&B, gospel music, gospel and rock and roll. He was a vocalist, g ...

, Charles Lloyd. In 2014 the winner of the International Music Award «Alfa Jazz Fest Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner became Charles Lloyd. Award ceremony was held on June 14, 2014. The last days' concerts of the festival was canceled due to the announced all-Ukrainian mourning for the perished Ukrainian militaries in the east of the country. Alfa Jazz Fest 2013 On June 13–16, 2013 the third International jazz festival Alfa Jazz Fest was held in Lviv. Headliners of Alfa Jazz Fest 2013:

Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is an American brass band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ensemble was established in 1977, by Benny Jones and members of the Tornado Brass Band. The Dirty Dozen incorporated funk and bebop into the traditional D ...

(USA); Avishai Cohen (Israel);

Till Brönner Till Brönner (; born 6 May 1971 in Viersen, West Germany) is a German jazz trumpeter, Flugelhorn, flügelhorn player, singer, composer, producer and photographer. History From 1989–1991, Brönner was a member of the Peter Herbolzheimer Rhyt ...

(Germany);

Al Di Meola Albert Laurence Di Meola (born July 22, 1954) is an American guitarist. Known for his work in jazz fusion and world music, his breakthrough came after joining Chick Corea's Return to Forever group in 1974. He launched, from 1976 afterwards, a s ...

(USA);

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

Quartet West (USA);

(USA). On June 15, 2013 the awarding ceremony «Alfa Jazz Fest Awards» dedicated to Eddie Rosner took place on the gala-concert. In 2013 Award was presented to Charlie Haden — one of the most famous American jazz musicians and composers, four time Grammy Award winner. Alfa Jazz Fest 2012 The second International jazz festival Alfa Jazz Fest was held in Lviv on June 1–3, 2012. The festival was attended by over 30,000 spectators from different countries. Headliners of Alfa Jazz Fest 2012:

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. Garrett's primary instruments are ...

(USA),

Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a ...

Band (Cameroon),

Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wit ...

(USA),

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the electric bass at age 10, performing and composing at age 12, and at age 15, s ...

Trio (USA),

Gino Vannelli Gino Vannelli (born June 16, 1952) is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter who had several hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s. His best-known singles include " People Gotta Move" (1974), " I Just Wanna Stop" (1978), " Living Inside Myself" (1981) ...

Band (Canada), John McLaughlin the 4th dimension (UK). In 2012, for the first time, there was an award ceremony, the “Alfa Jazz Fest Awards” dedicated to Eddie Rosner.The International Eddie Rosner Alfa Jazz Fest Music Award to be granted within the framework of the local jazz festival
In 2012 the prize was awarded to John McLaughlin, the legendary British guitarist, playing jazz-fusion. Alfa Jazz Fest 2011 The first International jazz festival Alfa Jazz Fest was held in Lviv on June 3–5, 2011. Headliners of Alfa Jazz Fest 2011:

Spyro Gyra Spyro Gyra is an American jazz fusion band that was formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1974. The band's music combines jazz, R&B, funk, and pop music. The band's name comes from ''Spirogyra'', a genus of green algae which founder Jay Beckenste ...

(USA),

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

(USA),

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

(USA),

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

Soulgrass (USA),

Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...

Fusion Superband (USA).

References

External links

{{portal, Ukraine
Festival official web-site
Jazz festivals in Ukraine Culture in Lviv Summer in Ukraine 2011 establishments in Ukraine Music festivals established in 2011