Turkish jazz scene sees strong rise in recent years

The opening of the festival was held with a press launch at a hotel and a plaque presentation to the contributing institutions.

At the opening concert, famous pianist Fahir Atakoğlu performed on stage together with Volkan Öktem, Seçil Akmirza, and Alp Ersönmez, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

Jazz Association President Özlem Oktar Varoğlu told an AA correspondent that media support is of great importance for the festival and is the strongest element in spreading the work to wider audiences.

Thanking all participants and sponsors, especially the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Varoğlu said, “We have prepared a wonderful program. The full program can be found at ‘cazdernegi.org,’ but I proudly say that very few tickets are left.”

She added that they are preparing a more comprehensive program for next year’s 30th festival and noted that jazz music in Türkiye has gained remarkable momentum in recent years.

Varoğlu said, “Of course, it always existed, but during the 30-year history of the Jazz Association, there has been an incredibly fast rise. The increase in platforms, artists, and festivals like ours has opened new paths for artists in Türkiye. Albums keep coming out—so many that even we struggle to keep up.”

Highlighting the importance of collaborations with universities, Varoğlu said, “From now on, we want to be more present in universities. This year our closing concert will be at METU. We will be at the METU Big Band concert, where Yıldız İbrahimova will appear as a guest artist.”

The festival will continue with concerts, workshops, exhibitions, and talks held in different venues across Ankara. The festival program will run until November 30.