Jazzfest Budapest 2025: Spotlight on European, African, and Asian Jazz
Avishai Cohen, Jojo Mayer, and Dhafer Youssef at the 4th Jazzfest Budapest:
The organizers and curators of Jazzfest Budapest have focused the 2025 program on showcasing jazz beyond the borders of America. Europe, Africa, and Asia are producing increasingly exciting musical innovations, with outstanding bands rising to prominence.
Jazzfest Budapest 2025
From April 27 to May 14, 2025, the 4th Jazzfest Budapest will feature performances by Avishai Cohen, Jojo Mayer, Dhafer Youssef, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Kinga Glyk, Tribute to Esbjörn Svensson Trio, and Miklós Lukács. The festival will include sunrise concerts, a special series celebrating International Jazz Day, and opportunities to discover young talents from across the globe, from Brazil to Italy, Austria to Korea. The event concludes with a gala evening dedicated to the living legend, Mihály Dresch.
The opening concert of Jazzfest Budapest 2025 will be performed by Avishai Cohen, one of the most remarkable double bass players of his generation, captivating audiences worldwide with music infused with Middle Eastern and Andalusian elements. Together with his quintet, Cohen will present both old favorites and new compositions from their Brightlight album.
Rarely do accordion and cimbalom share a stage, but on April 29, Miklós Lukács will perform with internationally acclaimed accordionist Vincent Peirani, double bassist György Orbán, and percussionist András Dés at the Eiffel Art Studios. On May 2, Jojo Mayer will present his Me/Machine project, an improvised duo that integrates analog drumming with artificial intelligence, where man mimics machine and machine mimics man.
Tunisian artist Dhafer Youssef bridges cultures through his music, blending traditional Arabic melodies with modern jazz improvisation and electronic sounds. A leader of the contemporary movement merging Eastern and Western music, Youssef will perform on May 4 at the Erkel Theatre.
In 2015, three young Hungarian pianists reached the top ten in the piano competition of the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival—a historic achievement. Ten years after this milestone, on May 5, the three pianists, Mátyás Gayer, Krisztián Oláh, and Áron Tálas, will reunite for a special performance, even sharing the stage simultaneously at three pianos.
On May 7, Rabih Abou-Khalil will transport his audience to the enchanting world of the Middle East. His compositions blend the rich melodies and rhythms of Arabic music with the freedom of jazz and the refinement of classical music.
On May 10, the Eiffel Art Studios will host an evening for lovers of jazz, funk, and groove. Polish bassist Kinga Glyk, whose videos have set viewership records, will perform. Her latest album was produced by five-time Grammy-winner Michael League, with Grammy-winning engineer Nic Hard.
Nduduzo Makhathini’s works bring together jazz and Zulu cultural heritage. His debut album Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds under Blue Note was named one of The New York Times’ “Best Jazz Albums of 2020,” followed by In the Spirit of Ntu in 2022 and uNomkhubulwane in 2024.
In 1993, three Swedish musicians—Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund, and Magnus Öström—formed the e.s.t. trio. Little did they know it would become one of the most influential bands in European jazz of the 1980s. To mark e.s.t.’s 30th anniversary, Magnus Öström and Dan Berglund, along with fellow musicians Joel Lyssarides, Magnus Lindgren, Verneri Pohjola, and Ulf Wakenius, have performed two grand concerts in Cologne and Stockholm. On May 12, they will perform at the Erkel Theatre. The next day, Antonio Farao, one of Italy’s most distinguished jazz pianists and composers, will join forces with John Patitucci, a contemporary jazz bass icon, and drummer Gene Jackson, who has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Dave Holland since the 1980s. Together, they promise an unforgettable trio performance.
Jazzfest Budapest: gala dinner
The festival will conclude on May 14 with Mihály Dresch’s gala evening, offering a glimpse into the life’s work of this iconic artist. In addition to performances by his active ensembles—Dresch Quartet, Dresch Alternative Quartet, and Dresch String Quartet—special guests and unique musical collaborations are in store for the audience.
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