This is what the first festival under the artistic direction of Max Zenger looks like.
Porvoo Jazz Festival will be held for the twelfth time in the heart of Porvoo from September 26th to 29th! This year, the festival will take place over four days. The festival begins and ends at the Porvoo Art Hall, where visitors can enjoy the "Voi veljet" artist group's exhibition alongside the music.
The festival opens on Thursday, September 26th, with a solo concert by Pauli Lyytinen, and concludes with the festival's first collaboration production with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra on Sunday. On Saturday at the Art Hall, the renowned Seppo Kantonen Trio will perform.
The heart of the events is the historic WSOY building located on the edge of the old town. In the cozy cultural space known as Vanha 123, owned by Porvoo Jazz Festival, attendees can experience two concerts with one ticket. Vanha 123 will host an interesting and topical program. On Friday, two quintets will perform; the winner of the first Taimi Prize awarded by the Finnish Jazz Federation, Joonatan Henriksson Quintet, and the German-Finnish-American female band Expand, starting their album release tour from Porvoo. On Saturday, the stage at Vanha 123 will feature the Danish-Estonian Karmen Roivassepp Quartet and the duo Lampen consisting of Tatu Rönkkö and Kalle Kalima.
True to its style, Porvoo Jazz Festival will again take over a new abandoned space this year. The adjacent staircase to Vanha 123 leads to a pop-up venue, the former entertainment center "Punainen Pantteri" (Red Panther), aptly renamed Vanha Pantteri (Old Panther) in line with the venue's history. Five concerts will be held there during the festival. Friday kicks off with the "Young Talents" concert, launched last year, which showcases local talent in collaboration with the Porvoo Region Music Institute. Later on Friday night, there will be a performance by Arppa, a leading figure in Finnish indie music, with his jazz band. Saturday's late-night entertainment will be provided by Dalindéo, a long-standing band offering psychedelic surf-lounge jazz, celebrating the release of their sixth album. Sunday's children's concert will feature rhythmical fun with Henna and the Superheroes.
On Saturday, Vanha Pantteri will also host a unique event for this year's festival: Jazz + Ping Pong w/Born2Bingo! The house band for this event will be the captivating Danish organ-drum duo Born2Bingo, setting the rhythm for a ping pong showdown between jazz musicians. The results of the mini-tournament will determine the direction of the show on stage!
Porvoo Jazz Festival is a warmly organized event that focuses on quality and an intimate festival atmosphere with a bohemian touch. The festival doesn't take jazz too seriously; instead, it wants its audience and performers to have a pleasant and atmospheric experience above all. Interaction is also essential at the events, and the festival wants to bring the most current and carefully selected jazz within touching distance.
Porvoo Jazz Festival has been held in the autumn since 2013. Located in the heart of Porvoo, the festival and the year-round Porvoo Jazz Club are based in the renovated Kulttuuritila Vanha 123. The former cinema, with its three cozy halls and two bars, provides the perfect setting for concerts where the audience becomes part of the experience.
The festival is organized by Porvoo Jazz Festival ry, and the 2024 program is curated by the artistic director of the association, saxophonist Max Zenger.
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER, JAZZ DOES!
Tickets available at Biletti.fi, Early Bird tickets with a 5€ discount until June 22nd.
Pauli Lyytinen © Tero Ahonen