20.00 | İPEK GÖZTEPE QUINTET: İPEK GÖZTEPE vocal | KAAN KARADAVUT trumpet | ENGİN ÖZŞAHİN piano | ENVER MUHAMEDİ double bass | MEHMET ALİ ŞİMAYLİ drums

21.05 | SELEN GÜLÜN BLUE BAND: SELEN GÜLÜN vocal, piano | BARIŞ DOĞUKAN YAZICI trumpet, flugelhorn | HALİL İBRAHİM IŞIK trumpet | BULUT GÜLEN trombone | SERHAN ERKOL alto sax, soprano sax | ENGİN RECEPOĞULLARI tenor sax | BARIŞ ERTÜRK bariton sax, bass clarinet | OZAN MUSLUOĞLU double bass | BERKE ÖZGÜMÜŞ drums

22.10 | İMER DEMİRER TRIO FEAT. ALİ PERRET: İMER DEMİRER trumpet | APOSTOLOS SIDERIS bass | CAN KOZLU drums | ALİ PERRET piano

Jazz has always had a unique place in Istanbul. Istanbul met this music in the 1920s, when jazz first opened up to the world, and has since hosted the first jazz orchestras, the first jazz clubs and debuting local jazz musicians in Turkey. Today, Istanbul is recognised as the jazz capital of Turkey with its world-class jazz musicians, festivals, venues, music schools and the jazz styles it has created over the years.

For the last concert of its 30th anniversary, the Istanbul Jazz Festival celebrates the city’s music and different generations of ‘Istanbul jazz’. The special night will start with an introduction by Selen Gülün, the concert’s music director. We will first listen to the quintet of İpek Göztepe, a jazz vocalist born in 1997 who has stood out in events such as the Nardis Young Jazz Vocalist Competition and Young Jazz+. Göztepe’s ensemble includes successful young musicians, such as Engin Özşahin, Eren Turgut and Mehmet Ali Şimaylı.

The Selen Gülün Blue Band, which received great acclaim with their self-titled album released in 2022, will be on stage later in the evening. Composer and pianist Gülün will perform the music she wrote for the orchestra with an ensemble including Engin Recepoğulları, Serhan Erkol, Barış Ertürk, Bulut Gülen, Halil İbrahim Işık, Barış Doğukan Yazıcı, Ozan Musluoğlu and Berke Özgümüş, all of whom are considered among the most successful names of our jazz scene. 

The night ends with the İmer Demirer Trio, consisting of pioneering names who have significantly contributed to jazz in Turkey. The trumpeter Demirer will be accompanied by Can Kozlu on drums, and Ali Perret, our esteemed jazz pianist, will take the stage as a guest for some pieces. On this night, Can Kozlu, the recipient of the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award this year, will be presented with his award.