The 25th Jazz Bez festival in Lviv on December 12–14 features Alina Bzhezhinska Trio, Maryana Sadovska x VESNA, Roland Abreu x Luis Nubiola x Widnokres, and Ninja Episkopat.
On December 12–14, the 25th Jazz Bez festival of contemporary improvised music will take place in Lviv. The program includes three very different yet equally exciting concerts: a performance by Maryana Sadovska and the VESNA project with a Polish-Cuban ensemble, an evening of meditative jazz by harpist Alina Bzhezhinska, and a concert by the Polish band Ninja Episkopat. This was reported by Zaxid.net.
Ahead of the concert program, there will be events for children and students. On December 11 – Jazz Bez Junior, a masterclass by Alina Bzhezhinska for students of the Lviv National Music Academy named after M. Lysenko. On December 12 at 2:00 PM at the HOMIN Center, there will be Jazz Bez Kid, a musical and educational interactive for children by Iryna Vakulina and Natalia Zavis’ko (Tempo Center for Musical Development).
As part of the festival, a fundraiser is planned to support musicians who are currently defending Ukraine’s independence on the front lines.
December 12
Alina Bzhezhinska Trio (Ukraine/United Kingdom) with the program “In the Footsteps of Great Masters”
For the first time on the Jazz Bez stage, the jazz harp star, 2024 UK Parliamentary Award laureate, and Lviv-born Alina Bzhezhinska will perform. The artist, who is shaping a new wave of European jazz, is coming to Lviv directly from London with a specially created program, “In the Footsteps of Great Masters.”
Joining Alina’s trio are:
- Joel Prime, a British drummer known for his incredible live performances and work with leading jazz stages across Europe.
- Ihor Zakus, a prominent Ukrainian composer and bassist, who is joining the project specifically for this concert.
The concert will feature works by Alice & John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Ashby, Stevie Wonder, as well as Alina’s original compositions from her four albums.
Zenyk Art Gallery, 7:00 PM
December 13
Maryana Sadovska x VESNA (Ukraine/Germany) and Roland Abreu x Luis Nubiola x Widnokres (Poland/Cuba)
In the first part, Maryana Sadovska, a renowned singer, actress, and composer, together with Christian Thome (drums and electronics), Mattias Kurt (guitar), and Markus Braun (sound design), will present the program “Live!”. It is a rich musical journey between archaic depth and contemporary energy, blending folk, avant-garde, and urban-shamanic sounds.
In the second part, Roland Abreu x Luis Nubiola x Widnokres will perform the program World Pulse. It is a mix of jazz, soul, hip-hop, and electronics — a meeting of Polish sensitivity and Cuban temperament, where jazz becomes a language uniting cultures, energies, and rhythms. On stage: Maciej Nestor, Luis Nubiola (saxophone), Roland Abreu (double bass).
Lviv National Philharmonic named after M. Skoryk, 6:00 PM
December 14
Ninja Episkopat (Poland)
Ninja Episkopat consists of Patrycja Wybrańczyk (drums), Krzysztof Hadrych (guitar), and Alex Clov (saxophone, electronics). The group is described as “a child of the pandemic, social media, and the all-encompassing boredom we experienced in 2021.” Some call them the “Slipknot of Polish jazz.” Their sound combines electronics, rock, contemporary, and improvised music.
Dzyga Art Center, 6:00 PM
