About
I may be helping to bring harmony between people through my music.
Nat King Cole
are open
I may be helping to bring harmony between people through my music.
Nat King Cole
I am proud to say that after 17 years from its debut, Bucharest International Jazz Competition is ranked as the second jazz contest in Europe and the third in the world. The Competition contributes significantly to building a positive image of Romania in the world, allowing the inclusion of our country on the international map of major jazz events.
Dedicated to professional musicians, the event
successfully debuted in 2007, registering an unexpected participation for the first edition – 30 bands from 25 countries.
The trend was maintained, the popularity of the event increasing significantly, rightfully earning the title as the most visible and strong competition in the region. On her visit in Romania, Natalie Cole was delighted to find an event of this kind and welcomed the movement dedicated to the new jazz generation.
The 17th Edition will start on the 7th of July gathering 21 bands from 4 continents. Bucharest becomes the world capital of jazz.
Under the slogan "100% jazz and more" the public is invited to enjoy global trends, "creme de la creme" of major jazz centres worldwide, well defined concepts, daring ideas, in unique developments. The competitors' portfolio includes participation in prestigious international events as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Thelonious Monk Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival and Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival USA.
I am convinced that the jazz projects this year will keep the halls full as it was every time. We invite both genre lovers, and those uninitiated in the mysteries of jazz to enjoy evenings full of creativity and freedom of expression, an explosion of colour and energy.
A whole week dedicated to jazz...concerts, jam sessions and workshops, at the end of which the best artists of the new generation of jazz will be known.
Bucharest International Jazz Competition takes place within the International Festival EUROPAfest, with a tradition of 30 years, developed under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta and His Royal Highness Prince Radu since 2005, which gained the EFFE award - Europe's finest festivals.
Luigi Gageos
Director of EUROPAfest
ATPC Quartet | USA, Russia, Nigeria
Blue Jester Trio | Italy
Dons Trio | Denmark
East Side Jazz Initiative | Indonesia
Elimi Jazz Quintet | Italy
Epoxy Quartet | The Netherlands, Finland, Germany
Frantasco Giorgio | Italy
Hard Swing Mango | France
Haunted Waves | Italy
Hideaway Quartet | UK, Poland
Hiraeth | The Wales, UK
KLC Trio | Poland
Landworks | Italy
Mekwano | South Africa
North By Northwest | Italy
Oz Ilan Quartet | Israel
Qing Yang Band | China
Radu Valcu Quintet | Romania
Roberto Zechini - Echoes Sustain Able | Italy
Sara Guidolin & Pietro Aloi | Italy
Sheen Trio | Germany, Iran, Australia, USA
TangOstinato | Italy
UNiTy | USA
Wajdi Riahi Trio | Belgium, Tunisia, France
AE Trio | Italy
Alessio Magliari Trio | Italy
Barienses Jazz Collective | Italy
Daniel Gassin Band | France, Australia, USA, Columbia
Dejan | USA, Switzerland, Argentina, Cuba, Ukraine, Japan
Enrico Le Noci Quartet | Italy
Fabio De Angelis Quartet | Italy, Finland
Francesco Orio Trio | Italy
Hicaru | Aruba, The Netherlands, USA
Intermodulation | Austria
Joe & Tworek | Poland
Lukas Wögler Quartett | Germany
Meretrio | Austria, Brazil
Padma Trio | Italy
Pavel Ershov Trio | Russia
Robin Menuett Band | USA
Simons Jazz Collective | Germany
The Amsterdam Modern Jazz Quartet | The Netherlands, S. Korea
Unleashed Cooperation | Poland, Italy
Vittorio Cuculo Group | Italy
6tet and the City | France
A Lake Between Us | Italy, England
Adagio Project | Italy
Cem Karayalcin Trio | The Netherlands, South-Korea, Slovenia
Dejan | USA, Switzerland, Argentina, Cuba, Ukraine, Japan
Francesco Orio Trio | Italy
Hila Hutmacher Band | The Netherlands, Romania, Germany, France, South Korea, Luxemburg, Israel
Ishkero | France
Jah Trio | Poland
Mar Fayos Project | Spain
No Pressure | Germany, Russia, France, Denamark
Quartet With No Name | Estonia, Belarus
Rainald Brederling Quintett | Germany, France, Italy
Ranalli - Marziani Duo | Italy
Robin Menuett Band | USA
Sound Sky Trio | USA, Cuba
Tiago Lageira Trio | Portugal, South Korea, Germany
United Nations | USA, Israel, Poland
4 Way Close | Italy
Anoesis | Australia
Christopher Julien | U.S.A.
Entropy | Italy
Gniewomir Tomczyk Project | Poland
H3 Collective | Azerbaijan
Masala Quartet | Russia, Ukraine
Michel Meis 4tet | Luxembourg, France, Germany
Portrait and a Dream | Turkey
Project “Connections” | Bulgaria
R.A.M.E. | Italy
Saygili & Autschbach | Germany, Turkey
ShekBand | Ukraine
Taro & Benjamin | Japan, France
Uno Duo | Italy
WonRedful Town | Russia
H3 Collective | Azerbaidjan
Carlo Maria Nartoni | Italy
J-Peg Quartet | Italy
Vince Abbracciante Trio |Italy
Ergio Valente Trio | Italy
Mario Rafael Trio | Hungary
Matteo Di Leonardo 4tet | Italy
Michel Meis 4tet | Luxembourg, France
The SELT Quartet | USA, Latvia, Germany
Gabriele Agosta 4et | Italy
Robin Menuett Band & Suraiye Myles | USA
Symbiosis | France
MG3 Jazz Organ Trio | USA
Yazan Greselin Trio | Italy, Jordan
Raekrm | Belgium
Carlos Cippelletti & Afro-Cuban Jazz Sextet | Spain, Cuba
Trio Eslem | Italy
Akakaze Quartet | USA
Aleks Fadini Group | Italy, USA, Germany
Aron Gunst Quintet | Hungary, Brazil, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Holland
Ast-Gutierrez Duo | Germany, Spain, UK
Big | Israel
Boston Swing Trio | USA, Japan, South Korea, Nepal
Cocoon | Italy, Germany
Daniel Arthur Trio | USA, Canada
Eazy Quartet | Italy
Faces of Alex Trio | Italy
Feijoada | Holland, Germany, South Korea
Lorenzo Vitolo Trio | Italy
Mario Rafael Trio | Hungary
MG3 Jazz Organ Trio | USA
Purple is the Color | Austria, Czech Rep.
Raekrm | Belgium
Saliha and Enno | Germany
Samuel Eagles - Spirit | UK
Soft West | Australia
Sun-Mi Hong Quintet | Holland, South Korea, UK, Scotland, Italy
Threeamisu | Germany, Israel, Switzerland
We Are Closed Quartet | Italy
Allison Au Quartet | Canada
Alex G Band | Romania
Anatoli Tsampa and Friends | UK, Greece
Ausfahrt | Germany
Carrot Lights | Estonia
Cosmopolitan Sextet | Germany, Ukraine, Italy
Cuneman Quartet | Italy
Da voicez | Russia, Ukraine
Edmond Bilal Band | France
Fluxus Trio | Venezuela
Georgian Six | Georgia
In One Stroke | Hong Kong - China, UK
Jazz & Chocolate Duo | Italy
Michal Puchowski Vibe Quartet | Poland
Miguel Angel Lous Jazz Group | The Netherlands, Colombia, USA, Belgium
Mihaly Bazsinka Quartett | Hungary
Mina Choi Trio | USA, South Korea
Noel Simone Band of Friends NYC | USA
Part Time | Turkey
Pippi Dimonte 5tet | Italy
Solid Crest | Singapore, Thailanda, Japan, Indonesia
Stefano Latteri Band | Italy, Romania
The Great Connection | Poland, Denmark
Triism | USA
Uta Habbig Band | Germany, The Netherlands, Greece
4Mament | Germany
4S | Luxembourg, France
Anatoli Tsampa Band | UK, Greece
Atom string Quartet | Poland - disqualified
Carrot Lights | Estonia
Da Voicez | Russia, Ukraine
D.O. New Ensemble The Next Generation | Spain
June Trio | USA, South Korea
Monofunktional | Austria
Mynah | Italy
NYC-Texas Connection | USA, Spain, Italy
Parc X Trio | Canada
Pilot | Australia
Shalosh | Israel
Zadeno Trio | Italy
4mament / Germany
Caféaria / Italy
Carrot Lights / Estonia
Cypress / USA, Israel, India
D.O. New Ensemble The Next Generation / Spain
Da Voicez / Russia
Fabio Giachino Trio / Italy
HB Quartet / France
Impulse Duet / Italy
Inventrio / Germany
Ismael Circus / Italy
Jazz Bezz B / Russia
Just 4 friends / Romania
Kassiopeia / Germany
Mag Balay Quartet / Poland
Malin Kojola & Johan Emet / Finland
Mosaico Jazz Trio / Spain, Portugal
Open Source Trio / The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany
Parc X Trio / Canada
The Adam Green Continuum / UK
The Windwalkers / Germany, Colombia, Hungary, Cyprus
Tramonto / Mexico
3 Forest Band / Romania
Andreu Vilar Quartet / Spain, Argentina, Colombia
Anthes-Bergler Quintet / Germany
Any Jazz / Spain, Germany
BCR Project / Indonesia
Carrot Lights / Estonia
Catanga Alex Padureanu / Romania
Chocolate Disaster / Austria, Germany, Croatia
Da Voicez / Russia, Ukraine
Dan Cavanagh Dallas Trio / USA
EYM Trio / France
Federico Nathan Quintet / Spain, Uruguay, Italy
HB Quartet / France, Bosnia and Herzegovina
HI5 / Austria
Ismaele / Italy
Kelzoo / Germany
Less than Four / Switzerland, France
Lionel Bozek Trio / Austria
Mira Falk Quartet / Germany, Iceland, France
Nastja / Germany, Russia
Paulo Luz Trio / Portugal, Russia
Puzzletone / Portugal
Quei Due / UK, Italy
Stedwin / France
3 Way Free / Israel
Artbeaters / Slovenia
Barba / Righetti Duo / Italy
CCM Quartet / USA, Colombia
Damien Kingston Trio / The Netherlands, Australia
Enescu College Jazz Quintet 2012 / Romania
Evgeniya Zima Band / Russia
Franziska Katharina & Hagen Moller / Switzerland
Imagine Band / Armenia
Jazz in Dreadlocks / Poland
Lindeborg/ Aadnekvam Duo / Sweden
Loungerie II / Romania
Luiza Sales e os Coringas / Brazil
Michael Aadal Group / Norway
Mira Falk Quartet / The Netherlands, Germany, Iceland
Olah Krisztian Trio / Hungary
Polished Blue Project / Poland
Quentin Angus Quintet / USA, Australia
Rozina Patkai Trio / Hungary
Ryo Hatakeyama & Yuko Yoshida Duo / Japan
The Dahi Divine Jazz Quintet / USA
To Book a Rest 5Tet / Italy
Trio Millionaires / Israel
Urban Fabula / Italy
Yurgaki Trio / Colombia, Spain, Ecuador
Adrian Gaspar Trio / Austria
Andre Carvalho 5Tet / Austria, Portugal
Ayca Mirac Lazcaz / Germany, Turkey, Finland
Indonesian Youth Regeneration / Indonesia
Interfoam / Denmark
Intone / USA, Austria, Sweden, France
Jazz Challenge / Romania
Jazzlings / Hungary, Slovakia
Karri Luthala Trio / Italy
Kuromitsu Quartet / Russia
Marialy Pacheco / Australia, Cuba
Matthieu Llodra Trio / Switzerland
Milim / USA, Japan
Peabody Jazz Quartet / USA
Rofalski Trio / Germany
Song Yi Jeon Quintet / Switzerland, Korea, Germany
Sorin Zlat Trio / Romania
Viktor Horvath Trio / Hungary
Cinzia Catania / The Netherlands, Switzerland, Romania, Italy, Tunisia
Circumsonus / Austria
Citric / Spain
Dory Bavarsky Trio / USA, Canada, Japan, Israel, Germany
Elena Mindru Trio / Romania
Final Step / Switzerland
G.I.R.L. / France, Germany, Russia
Karri Luthala Trio / Italy, Finland
Mozambique TRIO / Turkey
Paleka / The Netherlands, Germany
Risikogesellschaft / Germany
Rokicki & Pulcyn Duo / Poland
Sendai / United Kingdom, Portugal, Scotland, India
Stephan Braun Trio / Germany, Poland
Unit Three / USA
Art Voices / Armenia
Beefolk / Austria
Citric / Spain
Dwootho / Poland
Jazzilanti / Slovenia
KNH / Hungary
The Moonstones / Romania
Off-Quar-tet / Denmark, Poland
Orioxy Quartet / Switzerland, France, Israel
Paleka / The Netherlands, Germany
The Shtriker Sextet / Israel
Sonia & The Band / Romania
Tamarazene / Hungary
Tavitjan Brothers / Macedonia, Armenia
Trybala - Wieg Duo / Germany, Poland, Belgium
Vitime Band / Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, Serbia
Yara and The Sweet Mob / Germany, Brazil
Academic Jazz Group / Romania
Andrey Marukhin Quintet / Russia
Anne Czichowsky & Jazzpartout / Germany
Art Voices / Armenia
Christian Pabst Trio / The Netherlands, Germany
The Coffeetime / Russia
The Conception / Poland
Daniel Zamir Group / Israel
Dorian Duo / Romania
Fourscore / Germany, France
The Invisible Landscape Sextet / USA
Laia Genc Liaison Tonique / Germany
Lela & Joe Kaplowitz / Croatia, USA
Maria Fernandez Alvarez & Norman Peplow / Spain, The Netherlands, Germany
Nahis Trio / Israel
Next-Music-Ensemble / Slovenia
Nicola Andrioli Paris 4et / France
Orka Quartet / Germany, Iceland, The Netherlands
Ajavares / Estonia
Alexandra Lehmler Quintet / Germany, Colombia
Alim Nastaev Trio / Russia
All Time Jazz Trio & Lucia Luzinska / Slovakia
Anna Stepniewska Quartet / Poland
Clint Campisi Quartet / Germany, Australia
Dan Cohen Trio - Lysosomian Dance / Israel
The Dease / Madsen Quintet / SUA, Japan
Empirical / United Kingdom, Canada
Evgeny Lebedev / Russia, USA
Evo Trio / Turkey
Four Us / USA
Fourth Floor / Poland
Inner Energy / The Netherlands, Portugal, Israel, Italy
Karolina Trybala Duo / Germany
M K 6 / The Netherlands, Serbia, Germany, Indonesia
Magnus Mehl Quintet / Germany, Serbia
Martin Terens Trio / Germany
Milo Suchomel Quartet / Slovakia
Miseta Alexandra Quartet / Hungary
Mr. Smith & Me / Romania, United Kingdom
Next-Music-Ensemble / Italy, Norway, Slovenia
Nial Djuliarso Trio / USA, Indonesia, Japan
Nicola Andrioli Paris 4ET / Italy, France
No Limit Jazz Quartet / Austria, Slovakia, Germany
Pawel Kaczmarczyk Trio "In Space" / Poland
Q3 / Switzerland
Raluca Stoica & Jazzy Band / Romania
Tettamanti Tema / Hungary
Theiler-Dietrich-Athanas / Switzerland
Svetoslav Nikolov has been Programme Director of Jazz FM in Bulgaria since 2006. Just a few months earlier he joined the team of the only radio station for jazz in the country as presenter of the morning show. Svetoslav Nikolov's focus as Programme Director is to emotionally bond artists and audience while working on expanding the jazz scene and attracting new aficionados to the genre. He established several contextual jazz festivals and concert series drawing on local communities, the heritage, education and nature, three of them starting in 2022. He is assisting in programming jazz venues and festivals. Several special radio projects are directed to bringing culture into education and exporting classroom work at arts schools to the radio waves. With the aim to solidify the music scene and to give impulse to it, he started new programming of specially recorded concerts presented by the artists and of following the complete process of a music project development. To achieve the maximum impact various media are used - audio, video, photo and text, while the content is presented on air and online on all possible digital platforms. To pass on his expertise he has been lecturing on jazz festivals - Jazz Forum Stars Zagora, Bansko Jazz Academy, etc. In Bulgaria he is on the jury panel of various competitions - the National Competition for Young Jazz Performers, Evergreen Fest, Golden Spring of the Bulgarian National Radio, among them. Before heading Jazz FM, Svetoslav Nikolov has been news anchor and producer and host of current affairs and arts programmes on the Bulgarian National Radio, Radio Free Europe, the Bulgarian Section of the BBC. In a media career of 28 years, he has also worked on other radio and TV stations, as well as on internet news websites. Through the years he developed various projects documenting the jazz tradition in Bulgaria through the stories told by its founders. He was executive producer of a historical album of the first Bulgarian professional jazz vocalist Leni Vylkova recreating never recorded songs from the 1940s or released and then lost. Currently he is producing an album and concerts project of jazz vocalist Mimi Nikolova. He was the editor of the autobiographical book of one of Bulgaria's jazz legends Dimityr Simeonov.
The 18th Bucharest International Jazz Competition, 5 - 13 July 2024, is open to bands and vocalists of all nationalities.
Applicants must be born after 1st of July 1979.
The leader of the band can be older than 45 years.
Competition Procedure
Eligibility
Bands may have up to 6 performing musicians and they may include:
Individual musicians can apply for the Jam Session section.
Application
Application procedure is the same for all.
1st Round - Selection of semi-finalists
The admissions panel and adjudicators will evaluate each application. The application must include 2 - 3 pieces of different styles.
2nd Round - Semi-final on 5 - 11 July
Competitors have complete freedom in choosing their repertoire.
3rd Round - Final and Gala, on 12 - 13 July
Competition Entry Requirements
Registration in the competition will be made based on digital documents:
1. application form - Annex A (for band), Annex B (for each member), Annex C
2. audio recordings for the competition - mp3 / mp4 format
3. two different group photos, color, landscape format, min 1MB
4. copy of the bank confirmation for the payment of the registration fee
5. short presentation of the group - max. 10 lines, word document
6. copy of passport | identity card for EU citizens, for each group's member
7. technical rider
- make a folder and name it as your band
- copy all digital documents in the folder
- archive / compress the folder ( .zip )
- send the folder by www.wetransfer.com to email office@jmevents.ro and jmevents.ro@gmail.com
- please mention: " Application - band's name"
The registration fee for one application / group is 140 Euro and will be paid by bank transfer as follows:
Amount: 140 Euro. The payment will be sent free of charge to the payee.
Recipient: jmEvents
IBAN Account: RO82 BACX 0000 0004 3583 4003
Bank name: Unicredit Bank - Millenium Branch
Address: 88 Calea Victoriei, Bucharest
Swift Code: BACXROBU
Subject: Registration fee for BIJC for...(band's name)
Drafts / bank cheques are not accepted.
The registration fee is non-refundable. The registration fee will be refunded only to those competitors who have complete application documents and are not accepted in the Semi-final based on the recordings.
Registration deadline is March 1, 2024 ( 23:59 ).
Confirmation of the applicants' registration in the competition will be made before March 30, 2024.
The participants will have a professional technician and sound system along with back-line of drum kit, acoustic or digital piano, bass amplifier, guitar amplifier and microphones.
For Finalists ( 3 - 5 bands ) the organisers will provide free accommodation, organised through the system of the competition, for the entire period of the Final. This offer is available only for those bands that have already used the accommodation system of the competition, being accommodated until the Final in the same hotels.
Each finalist band, which falls under the mentioned conditions, can receive the amount for accommodation the next day after the Gala Concert. Any claim after this date is not accepted.
For Semifinalists the organisers provide accommodation options at special prices. If you are interested please make a request to office@jmevents.ro
The total amount of the prizes is 7.000 Euro: cash and concerts engagements.
The jury together with the organizers can decide to award special prizes, without financial value, under the name "Special prize".
The prize-winners will have priority in being included in the programs organized by jmEvents both nationally and abroad.
Final performers will receive diplomas, upon request. Prizes will be awarded by a Jury whose members are well known personalities of the jazz musical world. The Jury will use the standard criteria as:
All the decisions of the Jury are final and non-appealable. The public preference will be considered for the final decision.
Each award-winner must receive his or her prize personally the next day after the Gala Concert. Any claim for the prizes after this date is not accepted.
The concerts could be broadcast by the Broadcasting Corporation or recorded for later transmission. A live or deferred broadcast by other Romanian or foreign Broadcasting Corporations is possible, as well as a complete or partial re-broadcast of the concerts on mass-media or online channels.
By applying to take part in the competition, the applicants give their implied consent for this recording as well as for its transmission under the conditions mentioned above. The participants and the prize-winners have no claim to additional fees.
During the development of Bucharest International Jazz Competition, the participating bands and musicians are not allowed to perform in any other spaces except for those of this competition.
The infringement of rules has as consequence the exclusion from the competition, which is irrevocable, and/or taking pecuniary measures.
For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at office@jmevents.ro !
Performance was our main goal since the beginning.
We had thought everything we did as if we would have been on any of the great stages of the world. Even if it was hard, in a society in a continuous change, it was the only thing that we could have done. The results did not let themselves to be expected.
Today, Bucharest International Jazz Competition is a renowned brand in over 50 countries, and the best proof is the presence year after year, of musicians from all around the world, as well as the recognition of the Romanian values at a global level.
Music, of course, is what I hear and something that I more or less live by. It's not an occupation or profession, it's a compulsion.
Duke Ellington
21 bands with musicians from 18 countries were accepted in the Semi-final: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine and The United States of America.
2024 applicationWe all do 'do, re, mi', but you have to find the other notes yourself.
Louis Armstrong
Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.
Ornette Coleman
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Life is not about finding our limitations, it's about finding our infinity.
Herbie Hancock
Bucharest International Jazz Competition takes place within EUROPAfest, event organized under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown and His Royal Highness Prince Radu.
Jazz is music made by & for people who have chosen to feel good in spite of conditions.
Johnny Griffin
EUROPAfest launches the 10th edition of Bucharest International Jazz Competition, one of the most appreciated jazz events, by the public and by specialists, the event being ranked among the first 3 european jazz competitions.
view | downloadBetween the 16 and 23 of May the capital vibrates on jazz rhythms. Bucharest International Jazz Competition, at its 9th edition reunites in the Semifinal 15 of the jazz bands of the moment from as many countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, South Korea, E
view | downloadEUROPAfest launches the 2015 edition of Bucharest International Jazz Competition, one of the most appreciated jazz events, by the public and by specialists, the event being ranked among the first 3 european jazz competitions. The application period is ope
view | downloadBetween 17 and 24 May Bucharest will vibrate on jazz rhythms. Bucharest International Jazz Competition, taking place under the EUROPAfest brand brings on the Capital’s scenes 22 bands from 21 countries: Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Est
view | downloadThis year we celebrate 21 years of EUROPAfest. 21 years in which jmEvents offered to the large public a festival which distinguishes itself through live music, professionalism and elegance. Since 2005, EUROPAfest takes places under the Patronage of Their
| downloadEUROPAfest hosts this year 4 workshops held by 2 great personalities from the both the international and the local artistic world. Workshop: Margareta Paslaru 22 mai | “General Rehearsal“ 20:00 | Ibis Caffe Under the motto: “During our youth we strive t
view | downloadBetween the 17 and 24 May, Bucharest will vibrate on jazz rythms in a unique and effervescent note, reuniting bands from USA, Germany, UK, Italy, Poland, Finland, Israel, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, and Romania. Bucharest International Jazz Competition, wh
view | download