32. Akbank Jazz Festival

Festival History

Akbank Jazz Festival, the most perennial jazz festival in Turkey, was launched in 1991 with concerts organized in Istanbul. Not only hosting the prominent jazz figures across the world but also paving the way for emerging and promising next-gen artists, the Festival has now made it into a versatile organization by adopting panels, workshops, film screening sessions, concerts and social responsibility projects.

In time, Akbank Jazz Festival has expanded its musical scope by including various electronic and world music projects, along with classical and modern jazz works. In doing so, it reached an indispensable position as an event not only vis-à-vis jazz-enthusiasts, also for enthusiasts of other genres. The Festival was held in a wide range of venues including Akbank Sanat, Aya Irini Museum, Babylon, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, Zorlu Center PSM, where it featured numerous major jazz artists as well as artists from other genres and generations including Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Roberto Fonseca, Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Nils Peter Molvear, Anouar Brahem Trio, Abdullah Ibrahim, Aydın Esen, Betty Carter Trio, Dave Holland, John Zorn, Cassandra Wilson, Joachim Kühn, Joe Zawinul, Anthony Braxton, McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, Egberto Gismonti Trio, Courtney Pine, Pharoah Sanders, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Arto Lindsay, Richard Bona, Max Roach, Nguyen Le, Dino Saluzzi, Jimmy Smith, Ayşe Tütüncü, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Trio 3, Aki Takase, Sam Rivers, Don Cherry, Richard Galliano, Biréli Lagrène, Stephan Micus, Steve Turre, Charles Lloyd New Quartet, Avishai Cohen "Seven Seas", Arild Andersen Trio, Maffy Falay Sextet, Dusko Goykovich Quartet, Paul Motian, The Ray Gelato Giants, Azam Ali & Niyaz, Robert Glasper Experiment, Vijay Iyer Trio, ZAZ, Christian McBride Trio, Jamie Cullum, Kenny Barron & Dave Holland, Leszek Możdżer, China Moses, Ambrose Akinmusire, Chet Faker, Enrico Rava and Nicholas Payton.

Presented with assorted changes each year, Akbank Jazz Festival reached various cities of Turkey other than Istanbul, with the launch of Jazz on Campus concerts held since 2006. This series of concerts was organized in various cities including Ankara, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, İzmir, Eskişehir, Trabzon, Adana, Erzurum, Kayseri, Kars and many more.

In 2010, Akbank Jazz Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary which was honored by a compilation album, an epitome of its history, and a retrospective documentary and book. In 2011, the 20th edition of Akbank Jazz Festival was awarded the category prize of "Corporate Social Responsibility – Culture and Art" as part of the Golden Compass Awards organized by Turkey Public Relations Association (TÜHİD). Having celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015, the festival compiled a rich collection of contemporary Turkish jazz scene, consisting of 2 CD's. Featuring a limited number of vinyl records released to cherish the quarter-century past, the festival also presents a short selection of the 60's and 70's Turkish jazz panorama in this album.

Having supported the development of Turkish jazz for the past 30 years, Akbank Jazz Festival delivered an archival work in order to record and commemorate the current state of Turkish Jazz in 2020 without ever slowing down in this period of global pandemic, in which all dynamics have changed, concerts have been cancelled, and events have been postponed. The festival featured this album of original works that were published for the first time, and prepared by 30 jazz musicians and groups of Turkey by being inspired by their feelings or thoughts about the festival, the city, and current period. Named “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, the album that stands as an archival work reflecting the Turkish Jazz world, was released as a box set vinyl record and in digital format. The project has a crucial value not only as a special album but also as a documentary depicting and reflecting the spirit of both the past 30 years and the current period thanks to videos displaying record process and interviews with musicians.

Akbank Jazz Festival also realized various roaring projects across digital media by gatewaying a whole new dimension for communication with followers through social media. The Festival was granted various awards within the scope of Stevie Awards and Creativity International Awards for its social media projects entitled Akbank Jazz Festival T-shirt Design Competition and Akbank Jazz Radio.

Akbank Jazz Festival is a member of European Jazz Network.

32. Akbank Jazz Festival

24 September - 9 October 2022

32. Akbank Jazz Festival Selection

Workshop Workshop: What Does the City Tell Us? A wild Istanbul’s Unusual Sounds Orchestra

In the Istanbul’s Unusual Sounds session of the workshop series What Does the City Tell Us? we will focus on the various sounds of the city. In the normal course of our lives, there are sounds we hear but don’t pay attention to, sounds we don’t even notice, or even those we notice and that bother us.

Workshop Workshop: What Does the City Tell Us? A wild Istanbul’s Rhythms Orchestra

In the Istanbul’s Rhythms session of the workshop series What Does the City Tell Us? we will focus on Istanbul’s rhythmic textures. We will discover what Istanbul’s rhythm is for each of us by exploring the sounds we hear while wandering the city, the motions we witness, and what the city makes us feel.

Workshop Workshop: What Does the City Tell Us? A wild Compositions of Istanbul Orchestra

In the Compositions of Istanbul session of the workshop series What Does the City Tell Us? we will create a composition inspired by Istanbul’s sounds, noise, motions, and rhythms.

Conversation Talk: Women and Music in the Classical Age

The talk Women and Music in the Classical Age will take place on October 9 at Zuhal Müzik at Kanyon, with Dr. Işık Şahin, Esra Kayıkçı as guest speakers and Hülya Tunçağ as the moderator.

Conversation Stop! Listen!: Jazz in Japan and Jazzu Kissa

The talk has been organized as part of the Outro Music Store/Listening Shelter in Kadıköy’s event series “Stop! Listen!” It will give you the chance to explore the Japanese perspective on the globally popular J-Jazz and Jazzu Kissa. The event will take place on October 8. Capacity of the event is limited.

Conversation Talk: Voices Time Forgot

Moderated by Hakan Rauf Tüfekçi, the panel will be held on October 8 at Decollage Art Space with the guest speakers Selen Gülün and Önder Focan.

Conversation Listening Club “A song you listen to while strolling through the streets of the city”

“Listening Club” will take place as a part of 32nd Akbank Jazz Festival on October 2, before Kamucan Yalçın Duo’s performance at Postane Istanbul.

Conversation Talk: Visual and Audio Experiences in the Age of New Media

In this talk, we will hear from three artistswho produce from within different mediums. They will describe their creativeprocesses, their works that bring together different branches of visual/audioart, and their experiences on stage both in Turkey and the world.

Concert Mehmet Uluğ Gecesi: Volkan Öktem #7

Volkan Öktem's first album #7, the first single of which will be released in September, draws on his musical career. He will bring this project to the stage of the 32nd Akbank Jazz Festival, which is where we will have the first chance to listen to the compositions on the album.

Concert Burhan Öçal & Istanbul Jazz Ensemble

On September 28 at Dada Salon Kabarett, Burhan Öçal will be bringing together some of Turkey’s top jazz musicians for a packed stage performance.

Concert Emma-Jean Thackray

The way she expands on their themes and movements live with enchanting improvisations has made her a favorite of the international festival circuit. Emma-Jean Thackray will be on stage at Babylon on the evening of October 8.

Concert Tenderlonious

One can never predict in advance what kind of rabbit Tenderlonious will pull out of his hat. You can watch his exhilarating performance on October 7 at Babylon.