Written by This coming weekend the 5th edition of Jazz Across Borders will take place. Normally Jazz Across Borders takes place in Saint Petersburg, the historic Northern capital of Russia, however due to the resurgence of Covid in Russia this year the conference will take place online.
Whilst held online, the event maintains the personal approach and the world-class lineup the conference is famous for. This year, among others, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lee Ritenour will offer workshops to lucky participants. The two-day event brings together Russian and international jazz professionals, promoters, musicians and other music industry experts, promoting and enabling cross-cultural dialogue at the highest level. No Russian? No problem. As always, Jazz Across Borders is fully bilingual, providing translations in both Russian and English.
In its spirit of constant reinvention, this year’s program features four sections, offering something for everyone. The conference program presents panels and round tables discussing topics such as music management, Ethno Jazz as an export product and – inevitably – how to handle festival cancellations, bringing guests such as Ernst Wiggo Sandbakk (Trondheim Jazz Festival), George Pfaab (Prime Tours Germany) and other leading industry professionals. Meanwhile, other parts of the program hold educational and networking opportunities for both those on and behind the stages of the world.
Round-table and panel discussions. The speakers list of the 2021 business program includes: Ted Kurland, founder of Ted Kurland Associates (USA); Petr Dimitrov, director of A to Z Jazz Festival (Bulgaria); Ernst Wiggo Sandbakk, director of Tronheim Jazz Festival (Norway); Madli-Liis Parts, music advisor of the Estonian Ministry of Culture (Estonia); Luigi Sidero, booking agent of Music Works International (Italy); Georg Pfaab, booking agent of Prime Tours (Germany), and other leading producers, programming directors of festivals and clubs, promoters, and record label officials from across the globe.
The 5th edition of Jazz Across Borders sees the return of last year’s Listening Sessions, allowing selected musicians to – publicly – present their recently released tracks to a group of top Russian and foreign music observers and critics. In addition this year Jazz Across Borders will once again offer Matchmaking Sessions offering “one-on-one” meetings with (inter)national jazz professionals, optimizing networking opportunities for all participants. Finally, the workshops by special guests and Grammy-winning Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lee Ritenour are sure to provide attendees with even more notable experiences.
Participating in this year’s conference program is free of charge and registrations are open at jazzrussia.com.
Last modified: November 11, 2021
