Jazz festival in Bansko 2020. Program and schedule

The official dates for the 23rd Jazz Festival in Bansko this year have been announced: from August 8 to August 14. Traditionally, concerts are held in the evenings on an open-air stage on Nikolai Vaptsarov Square in the city center. Let us remind you that the first Jazz Fest took place in 1998, thanks to Doctor Emil Iliev, who treated his patients with the help of music and wanted to expand the therapeutic effect to the scale of the whole of Bansko.

Jazz Fest Bansko is considered to be the largest summer music event in Bulgaria. Every year the event is opened by conductor Yanko Miladinov. Usually you can listen to musicians for free, since the bands’ performances are organized with the help of sponsors: hoteliers, winemakers, mobile operators, real estate agencies, communities and, of course, the European Union. However, this year the cost of the “entrance” ticket will be 100 levs (for 7 days) or 20 levs (for one evening ). Due to precautionary measures, it is planned to allocate only 400 seats. Starts at 19.30. Tickets are sold at EasyPay ticket offices.

Jazz Fest in Bansko 2019

It is worth noting that limiting the number of visitors to a certain number will be very difficult, if not impossible, since the area is surrounded by residential buildings and various infrastructure. A number of benches had previously stood in front of the stage, but the majority of visitors listened to jazz while sitting in a cafe or walking in the park area. Traditionally, market rows with crafts, fast food and various goods not related to music are lined up around the stage. It is not yet known how trade will be organized this year.

Program of the Bansko Jazz Festival 2020

1. Hilda Kazasyan - vocals and Big band Blagoevgrad with conductor Boris Yanev, special guest Hristo Yotsov - drums (Bulgaria).

2. Amy Baker “Amy and The Rhythm Sisters” (UK). Amy Baker - vocals, Lana-Mae Hodge - clarinet, Daisy Cool - baritone saxophone, Laura Prescott - piano, Sian Unwin - double bass, Holly Barnett - drums.

3. Dirty Purchase (Bulgaria). Khristoslav Galileev “Galyo” - bass, Nikolay Danev - drums, Lyudmil Stoinev - guitar / vocals, Amalia Nenova - vocals, Emil Minchev - vocals, Velislav Stoyanov - trombone / vocals, Mikhail Yosifov - trumpet / vocals, Denis Popstoev - saxophone / vocals , Milen Kukosharov - keyboards / vocals and special guest Marcello Billy Tempesta - guitar / vocals.

1. Petar Salchev & Plovdiv Octet (Bulgaria). Petar Salchev - vocals, Miroslav Turiysky - piano, Alexander Lekov - bass, Nikolay Karageorgiev - guitar, Christian Zhelev - drums, Venelin Georgiev - alto saxophone, Dimitar Ljolev - tenor saxophone, Georgy Stoykov - trumpet, Vladislav Michev - trombone.

2. “Give God for Jazz” special guest Mikhail Yosifov (Bulgaria). Marina Gospodinova - vocals, Mikhail Yosifov - trumpet, Milen Kukosharov - piano, Dimitar Karamfilov - double bass, Atanas Popov - drums.

3. Juke Joint Royals (Austria). Erich Herbst - piano/vocals, Vanya Haidukovich - double bass/vocals, Nina Dvorak - tenor saxophone, Peter Hübl - alto saxophone, Peter Blemenschütz - baritone saxophone, Matthias Schwarz - guitar, Reinhard Dlapa - drums.

1. "Voice & Guitar". Myrtill Micheller - vocals and Tibor Pinter - guitar (Hungary).

2. Vasil Petrov and Angel Zaberski jazz trio (Bulgaria). Vasil Petrov - vocals, Angel Zaberski - piano, Boris Taslev - double bass, Stoyan Yankulov-Stundzhi - drums.

3. Valentin Asenov and “Celentanissimo” (Bulgaria). Valentin Asenov - vocals, Rosen Parlapanov - piano, Hristo Neichev - solo guitar, Tsvetan Martinov - rhythm guitar, Mitko Gidishki - bass guitar, Ivan Tsenov - drums, Georgy Velichkov - accordion, Ivo Ivanov - trumpet, Yavor Kostov - trombone, Anastas Marinski - tenor saxophone, Iva Kolakszova - vocals, Mina Sucheva - vocals, Yanitsa Dafinova - vocals.

1. Trio PlaYIS (Bulgaria). Yasen Velchev - piano, Ivaylo Zvezdomirov - bass, Stoyan Yankulov-Stundzhi - drums.

2. Nicoletta Fabbri (Italy). Nicoletta Fabri - vocals, Gabriele Zanchini - piano, Luigi Faggio Grigioni - trumpet, Stefano Travalini - double bass, Stefano Paolini - drums.

3. Uroš Perić & The Mambo Stars Band (Slovenia / Serbia). Uros "Perry" Peric - vocals / piano, Dragoslav "Fredi" Stanisavljevic - 1st trumpet, Marko Djordjevic - 2nd trumpet, Christian Salafon - viola, Alexander Jakimovic - tenor saxophone / flute, Tihomir "Tiki" Jaksic - conductor / baritone saxophone, Nemanja Zlatarev - trombone, Goran Potik - guitar, Milan Pavkovic - bass, Milos Grbatinic - drums.

1. Dragan Milovanovic Trio (Serbia). Dragan Milovanovic - piano, Boris Sijanovic - double bass, Bogdan Djurdjevic - drums.

2. Lucy Woodward (Great Britain). Lucy Woodward - vocals, Jele Rosenburg - guitar, Udo Paneket - bass, Nick de Brown - drums.

3. Joana Amendoeira (Portugal). Joanna Amendeira - vocals, Pedro Amendeira - Portuguese guitar, Joao Filipe - guitar, Carlos Menezes - double bass.

1. Koka Mass Jazz (Bulgaria).

2. Kamelia Todorova and Stanislav Arabadzhiev Trio (Bulgaria). Kamelia Todorova - vocals, Stanislav Arabadzhiev - piano, Stefan Goranov - drums, Vasil Hadzhigrudev - double bass.

3. Igor Butman Quintet (Russia).

1. “Dialogue with Milcho Leviev.” Lyubomir Denev plays music by Milcho Leviev, special guest Vesela Morova - vocals (Bulgaria).

2. Axel Zwingenberger (Germany).

3. AKAGA (Bulgaria). Ivo Kazasov - trumpet / vocals, Georgiy Velev - trumpet, flugel / vocals, Kradisir Kirilov (Jojo) - trombone / vocals, Krasi Kurtev - bass / vocals, Dimitar Mitev (Dundee) - drums, Petar Glavanov - guitar, Kalin Petrov - keyboards .

Along with the jazz festival, this year the Bansko community is also planning to hold an opera festival (Opera Fest) and a mountain film festival (Mountain film fest).

Opera Fest 2019 in Bansko. "Nabucco", opera by Giuseppe Verdi

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