The 29th International Ankara Jazz Festival, organized by the Jazz Society, opened on Nov. 13 in Ankara under the theme “Colors of Jazz” and will run until Nov. 30.
Festival Coordinator Selin Demiral told state-run Anadolu Agency that the Jazz Society was founded in 1995 by jazz enthusiasts and has since hosted numerous international artists in Türkiye.
Performances include the İlayda Hatipoğlu Quartet on Nov. 15 and the Janusz Szprot Tribute Concerts on Nov. 19, a collaboration between Poland and Türkiye supported by the Polish Embassy with participation from Sibel Köse, Bogdan Holownia, Wojciech Pulcyn and Monika Bulanda.
From Nov. 21-22 at the Turkish-American Association, events will include a Hi-Fi jazz masterclass led by Levent Ekmekçioğlu with Asım Uysal and Numan İlan, followed by Bilal Karaman’s “Manouche a La Turca” project. The festival will also release a special publication, “Jazz Writings Through an Interdisciplinary Lens,” followed by Tuluğ Tırpan and Şenay Lambaoğlu’s “Songs to Blue” project.
The second week features performances across different venues, including Serkan Alagök and Melih Çalışan’s “Güzel Bir Akşam” at Samm’s Bistro on Nov. 23. The festival also supports young artists: On Nov. 24, students from Hacı Bayram Veli University’s Graphic Design department will present a poster exhibition and awards ceremony, followed by a free jazz performance by emerging talent Ada Cebe.
International highlights include performances by Madeleine and Salomon with support from the French Cultural Center, a vocal masterclass at the Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts and the Raquel Kurpershoek Quartet on Nov. 27, organized with the Dutch Embassy. A masterclass on improvisation techniques by Şinasi Celayiroğlu will also take place that day.
The festival concludes with concerts at Samm’s Bistro, Altınay Hotel and METU’s Culture and Convention Center featuring Elif Canfeza Gündüz, Irma Peretti and Yıldız İbrahimova.
As a non-profit organization, the Jazz Society channels all ticket revenues into its Scholarship Fund, supporting Turkish students pursuing undergraduate and graduate music studies abroad.
For festival information and tickets, visit CazDernegi.org.
