“EUropean Jazz @ UCLA,” a Four-day Festival of Arts and Culture, Spotlights Europe’s Top Jazz Artists Celebrating America’s Original Music at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, Oc
Los Angeles (PRWEB) October 03, 2013 -- A stellar array of internationally acclaimed artists will participate in the inaugural “EUropean Jazz @ UCLA,” a multidimensional festival presenting Europe’s unique voice in the universal language of jazz. Exploring the European musical experience of America’s indigenous art form, the festival will run from Thursday, Oct. 10, through Sunday, Oct. 13, at Schoenberg Hall on the UCLA campus.
Bringing together some of the biggest names in jazz, “EUropean Jazz @ UCLA” will feature performances by 11 musical groups, an art exhibition, master classes and roundtable discussion. The centerpiece of the festival is a concert series showcasing groundbreaking artists from nine EU member states including Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Poland, plus Switzerland.
Evening performances kick off on Thursday, Oct. 10, with Poland’s Janusz Prusinowski Trio and the Czech Republic’s Emil Viklický Trio. The series continues on Friday, Oct. 11 with Borna Šercar’s Jazziana Croatica, Swiss Intercontinental Jazz Factory, and Germany’s North Atlantic Jazz Alliance with special guest Almer Imamovic of Bosnia. On Saturday, Oct. 12, the program includes Finland’s Olli Hirvonen Trio, Melanie O’Reilly Celtic Jazz Ensemble and JazzIndeed with Michael Schiefel. The festival concludes with a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 13, with Hungary’s Orsi and Bálint Sapszon, Georg Breinschmid’s Brein’s Café of Austria, and Italy’s Dado Moroni, Marco Panascia and Andrea Marcelli.
Initiated by Croatia and supported by the EU in partnership with UCLA to advance cultural cooperation, “EUropean Jazz @ UCLA” is a collaboration between 10 European consulates located in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as the European Union Delegation to the USA, and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, with support by the Joyce S. and Robert U. Nelson Fund, UCLA Center for European and Eurasian Studies, and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz on the American side. EUropean supporters include the Consulate General of Germany in Los Angeles, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Croatian by origin Grgich Wine Estates and Kroll Vodka from Poland.
“This event honors the American art of jazz and wants to bring the specific and particular taste of European jazz to the Los Angeles scene,” said Ambassador Rudi Veestraeten, Consul General of Belgium in Los Angeles. “It is a perfect opportunity for Americans and Europeans to get together, enjoy each other’s culture and celebrate the friendship between Europe and the United States.”
While reinventing and paying respect to its originators, European jazz has been growing and differentiating itself from American jazz. Because of the flexibility of jazz as an art form, as well as its democratic performance practices, it has flourished in Europe and has produced a great wealth of contemporary European jazz performers and composers
The EU reached its current size of 28 member countries with the accession of Croatia on July 1, 2013. The initiative of the Croatian Consulate General in Los Angeles to jointly celebrate jazz with other EU countries, not long after Croatia became the newest member of the EU, has also been given the support of President Ivo Josipović, making this event one of the primary cultural celebrations including ensembles from Croatia and other EU states, in paying respects to America as being the birthplace of jazz.
“The festival is a project initiated by Croatia, the newest member of EU, as a contribution to European cultural identity,” said Consul Marijan Orešnik of the Consulate General of Croatia. “Jazz, the original American music, went out to the world and we are bringing European versions of it back to its home. We intentionally looked for bands with local elements included in the music, therefore ‘painting’ the music in a specific European way.”
An exhibition by Croatian artist Roko Ivanda will feature 28 posters of his original artwork representing each of the 28 EU member states, to be displayed in the Schoenberg Hall lobby. The intriguing theme of the interaction of sound and image has become a passion for Ivanda in his commitment to visualize the sensation of the sound of a jazz musician within the authentic scenography of his native landscape.
European musicians participating in the festival will also advance the musical conversation through master classes for UCLA students, discussing 20th and 21st century European jazz compositional styles and performance practices. A roundtable discussion by special musical guests and scholars will be open to students and the public on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“This is a rare opportunity to be immersed in a truly artistically stimulating, wide-ranging international festival,” said James Newton, distinguished professor at the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology. “Jazz has always represented freedom and is one of the most germane indicators of the current human condition.”
EUropean Jazz @ UCLA – free concerts and events
Thursday, October 10
7 p.m. Concert
Janusz Prusinowski Trio – Poland
Emil Viklický Trio – Czech Republic
Friday, October 11
7 p.m. Concert
Borna Šercar’s Jazziana Croatica – Croatia
Swiss Intercontinental Jazz Factory – Switzerland
North Atlantic Jazz Alliance with special guest Almer Imamovic of Bosnia – Germany
Saturday, October 12
2 p.m. Roundtable Discussion
Borna Šercar’s Jazziana Croatica and other special musical guests will explore the current and future state of jazz in Europe, America and beyond
7 p.m. Concert
Olli Hirvonen Trio – Finland
Melanie O’Reilly Celtic Jazz Ensemble – Ireland
JazzIndeed with Michael Schiefel – Germany
Sunday, October 13
2 p.m. Matinee Concert
Orsi and Bálint Sapszon – Hungary
Georg Breinschmid’s Brein’s Café – Austria
Dado Moroni–Marco Panascia–Andrea Marcelli – Italy
Admission and information:
Events are free and open to the public on a first-come basis, with priority given to those who RSVP in advance. Reservations will be held until 10 minutes prior to curtain, and seats may be released to stand-by patrons. Wristbands will be issued beginning at 6 p.m. for the evening concerts and at 1 p.m. for the Sunday matinee. Programs subject to change.
For more information and to make reservations, visit http://eujazzfestival.international.ucla.edu.
For event updates, follow @EUJazzFestival on Twitter and Facebook. Further details are available by email via EUropeanjazz(at)outlook(dot)com.
Location and address: All events will take place in UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, located on the first floor of the Schoenberg Music Building at 445 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
Directions and parking: For events at UCLA’s Schoenberg Music Building, all-day parking ($12) and short-term parking (payable at pay stations) are available in Parking Structure 2 (enter the campus at Hilgard and Westholme avenues). An immediate left turn leads to Parking Structure 2. From Structure 2, walk north along Charles E. Young Dr. East to Dickson Plaza. Enter the Schoenberg Music Building from Dickson Plaza.
About the Artists
Borna Šercar’s Jazzianna Croatica
Borna Šercar – drums
Tihomir Hojsak – bass
Vojkan Jocić – sax
Zvjezdan Ružić – piano
Founded in 2009, Jazziana aims to preserve ethno-influenced Croatian musical heritage and introduce new Croatian jazz “standards.” One of its goals is to present the authentic sounds characteristic of the region where its members live, while creating a unique voice that is recognizably Croatian. Repertoire consists of original compositions and arrangements of well-known folk themes often used in classical music. Jazziana won the prestigious Porin award for best jazz composition in 2011 and 2013. bornasercar.com
Emil Viklický Trio – Czech Republic
“One of the best contemporary pianists, Emil Viklicky´s soloing and comping, his touch, voicings and intervals have a good deal in common with fleet, tasteful pianists like Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Rowles and Bill Charlap.” – Jazz Times
Emil Viklický – piano
Dustin Morgan – bass
Richard Weller – drums
Jazz pianist-composer Emil Viklický often performs in international ensembles with musicians from the United States and Europe. As a composer, Viklický has attracted attention abroad primarily for having created a synthesis of the expressive elements of modern jazz with the melodicism and tonalities of Moravian folk song that is distinctly individual in contemporary jazz. Viklický’s work has garnered a number of prestigious awards, including first prize for the opera, “Phaedra,” in the 2000 International Composition Competition in Prague. viklicky.com
Georg Breinschmid’s Brein’s Café – Austria
Georg Breinschmid – bass
Vladimir Karparov – soprano saxophone & clarinet/bass clarinet
Antoni Donchev – piano
Presenting music from the entire Danube region, this Viennese-Balkan ensemble presents elements of the waltz, polka and gypsy music as a good-humored statement. Repertoire consists of Georg Breinschmid’s compositions, along with traditional pieces. “Brein’s World” placed third in German Liederbestenliste’s 2011 CD of the year picks, and Breinschmid was nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the Jazz/World/Blues category in 2012 and 2013. georgbreinschmid.com
Janusz Prusinowski Trio – Poland
“These are contemporarily aware players, with deep love and understanding of central Polish traditional music and its techniques.” – Roots Magazine
Janusz Prusinowski – fiddle, voice, dulcimer, Polish accordion
Piotr Piszczatowski – baraban drum & frame drum
Michał Żak – wooden flutes, shawm, clarinet
Piotr Zgorzelski – folk bass, dancing
Szczepan Pospieszalski – trumpet
The group’s unique style is the result of their attempt to find new ways of interpreting the most important elements of village music from central Poland, bringing together mazurkas – sung, played, danced to, and improvised live. The musicians follow in the traditions of their village masters, combined with their own characteristic sound and language of improvisation, to create an avant-garde sound with dance that’s both archaic and modern. januszprusinowskitrio.pl
JazzIndeed with Michael Schiefel – Federal Republic of Germany
“Apart from Michael Schiefel, only few master the voice so well that they can create an entire orchestra in their listeners’ ears. Al Jarreau and especially Bobby McFerrin come to mind, but Schiefel is really doing something completely new.”
– ZDF/MSNBC
Michael Schiefel – vocals
Jan von Klewitz – saxophone
Bene Aperdannier – piano
Paul Kleber – bass
Rainer Winch – drums
Based in Berlin, JazzIndeed is a contemporary jazz quintet that plays mainly original compositions and features the distinctive virtuoso voice of Michael Schiefel. In 2001, Schiefel became the youngest music professor in Germany when he joined the faculty of the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar as a Professor of Vocal Jazz. He has performed at numerous festivals and teaches master classes throughout Europe. http://www.jazzindeed.com
Melanie O’Reilly Celtic Jazz Ensemble – Ireland
“Breathtaking amazing emotional intensity...sheer virtuosity.” – The Irish Times
Melanie O'Reilly – vocals
George Brooks – saxophone
Frank Martin – piano
Fred Randolph – bass
Surya Prakasha – drums & percussion
Dublin-born singer and songwriter Melanie O’Reilly’s unique and compelling bridge between Irish traditional music and jazz has won her a glowing reputation in Europe and the United States. She is well established in the ranks of creative Irish artists and has a strong reputation as a rising star of the international jazz firmament. melanieoreilly.com
Moroni–Panascia–Marcelli – Italy
Dado Moroni – piano
Marco Panascia – bass
Andrea Marcelli – drums
Edgardo “Dado” Moroni has played with jazz legends including Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry and Zoot Simms; he is a winner of the 2007 Italian Jazz Awards and was named in 2009 Best Italian Jazz Pianist by Musica Jazz magazine. Marco Panascia has earned degrees from Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music, and has performed with artists including Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones. During his 30-year career, Andrea Marcelli has worked with jazz icons such as Wayne Shorter and David Liebman. dadomoroni.net, marcopanascia.com, andreamarcelli.com
North Atlantic Jazz Alliance – Federal Republic of Germany
with special guest Almer Imamovic – guitar
Michael Schiefel– vocals & live electronics Jim Linahon – trumpet
Jan von Klewitz – sax
Bill Yeager – trombone
Markus Burger – piano
Marshall Hawkins – bass
Paul Kreibich – drums
Featuring special guest Almer Imamovic of Bosnia, a world-renowned guitarist and professor of Classical Guitar Studies at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Most recently, Imamovic’s song “Stani Draga” was featured in the film “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” written and directed by Angelina Jolie. The North Atlantic Jazz Alliance (NAJA), a jazz collective comprised of three Germans and four Americans, has been seamlessly fusing jazz adaptations of classical pieces with touches of avant-garde compositions and funk-infused, straight-ahead rhythms. “Every musician has to get out of their own comfort zone to play our music,” says pianist Markus Burger, born in Germany but living in Southern California since 2003. “Our music ranges from being free-flowing improvisations based loosely on the melody to more mainstream jazz.” http://www.northatlanticjazzalliance.com
Olli Hirvonen Trio – Finland
“Hirvonen is an excellent example of a modern well-versed jazz musician who respects the tradition but isn’t afraid of taking influences from contemporary styles as well.” – Helsingin Sanomat
Olli Hirvonen – guitar
Marty Kenney – bass
Nathan Ellman-Bell – drums
Olli Hirvonen is one of the rare Finnish musicians currently based in New York City. Born in 1989, he became a top young guitarist on the Helsinki jazz scene and was named 2011 Artist of the Year by the Pori International Jazz Festival, among the highest honors in European jazz. Hivonen relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue his master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music, and broadened his musical aesthetic to include influences of contemporary classical music, indie-rock and experimental electronic music. Hirvonen performs regularly with his ensemble on New York City club scene and at festivals throughout Europe. http://www.ollihirvonen.com
Orsi and Bálint Sapszon – Hungary
Orsi Sapszon – vocals
Bálint Sapszon – piano
Orsi and Bálint were born into a musical family in Budapest, Hungary. A Fulbright Scholarship recipient, Bálint is the Cultural Secretary of the United Hungarian House in Los Angeles and president of the Californian American-Hungarian Art Association. His sister Orsi has been a member of Gringo Sztár, among the most popular Hungarian pop groups, since 2011. balintsapszon.com, facebook.com/sapszonorsi
Swiss Intercontinental Jazz Factory – Switzerland
Greg Manning – keyboards
Enzo Todesco – drums
Hussain Jiffry – bass
Katisse Buckingham – saxophone
Munyungo Jackson – percussion
Swiss-American soul-jazz keyboardist Greg Manning is a three-time certified Platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland and has written and produced several Swiss chart-toppers. Enzo Todesco has established his reputation as a world-class drummer-programmer who regularly performs and records with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Gino Vannelli, Randy Crawford, and Frank Gambale. A writer, producer and engineer, bassist Hussain Jiffry is a native of Sri Lanka and lives in Los Angeles. LA-based woodwind player Katisse Buckingham has performed and recorded with some of the world’s most renowned pop rock and jazz musicians, and has his own self-titled group, which plays a blend of jazz, hip-hop, pop and world music. Seasoned percussionist Munyungo Jackson has performed with Miles Davis, Sting, and Herbie Hancock and is co-producer of the Watts Towers Day of the Drum and Jazz Festivals. greg-manning.com, reverbnation.com/enzotodesco, myspace.com/hussainjiffry, katisse.com, munyungo.com
Roko Ivanda – Croatia
Internationally renowned artist Roko Ivanda was born in 1968 in Sibenik, Croatia. Ivanda attended the University of Zagreb before joining the Artresor Studio Rasic in Zagreb. During his 20-year career, his gallery, “Ispo Kampanela” (“Under the Belfry”), in Vodice, Croatia, has become a center for art and culture, and is one of the cornerstones of the annual art events known as the “Vodice Summer.” His original artwork to be exhibited at “EUropean Jazz @ UCLA” found its beginning in Ivanda’s “Seaside Jazz” cycle, dedicated to the music festival of the same name. rokoivanda.com
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is devoted to the performance and study of music in all of its global diversity, including world music, popular music, jazz and classical music. The school’s curriculum combines musical diversity, interdisciplinary studies, liberal arts values and professional training in a way that takes advantage of the school’s position within a great research university. Students develop the practical and critical skills that prepare them for careers not only in professional performance and academia but in music journalism, the entertainment business, and the public and nonprofit sectors. http://www.schoolofmusic.ucla.edu
Press inquiries: Interviews, images and additional information available by request, please contact:
Holly Wallace
Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz
hwallace(at)monkinstitute(dot)org
office: 310.284.8200, cell: 310.990.2467
Malgorzata Cup
Consul for Culture, Press, Education and Polish Community
Consulate General of Poland in Los Angeles
EUropeanjazz(at)outlook(dot)com
office: 310.442.8500, ext. 108
Caroline Graham, C4 Global Communications, http://www.c4global.com, +1 (310) 899-2727, [email protected]
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