Oud virtuoso Dhafer Youssef will be on stage tonight as part of the festival.
The 36th Akbank Jazz Festival, organized in collaboration with Akbank Sanat and BKM under the theme “The City’s State of Jazz,” offers a rich program spanning contemporary jazz, Afro-Cuban music, electronic productions and Mediterranean sounds.
According to a statement released by the festival, the program, spread across venues throughout Istanbul, features prominent names from the international jazz scene.
As part of the festival, oud virtuoso Dhafer Youssef and vocalist Yazmin Lacey will perform on Oct. 7, followed by 10-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and vibraphonist Sasha Berliner on Oct. 8. Drummer and producer Kassa Overall will take the stage on Oct. 9.
Grammy Award-winning vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, Yasmine Hamdan, who blends Eastern and Western musical traditions, and the Samora Pinderhughes Trio will perform on Oct. 10.
Trumpeter İmer Demirer will celebrate his 50th year in music with a special concert on Oct. 8.
The festival will conclude on Oct. 11 with performances by Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico, Tunisian vocalist Lamia Bedioui’s water-themed “Watersong” project and London-based Kinkajous’ audiovisual show.
Alongside concerts, the festival will also host academic and cultural events. On Oct. 10, Can Sürmen will take part in a listening session titled “Imperfect Times: The Human Side of Groove,” focusing on rhythm and rhythmic perception.
Artist Sibel Köse and Cem Tuncer, conductor of the TRT Istanbul Radio Light Music and Jazz Orchestra, will discuss the role of broadcasting institutions in the development of jazz music on Oct. 11.
