Jazz Across Borders

SAXOPHONIST, PRODUCER, PEOPLE’S ARTIST OF RUSSIA,
PRESIDENT OF IGOR BUTMAN MUSIC GROUP,
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF MOSCOW JAZZ ORCHESTRA,
PRESIDENT OF JAB FORUM&FESTIVAL

IGOR BUTMAN

Igor Butman is justly considered as the top advocate of Russian jazz art in the world. In 1999 he founded his internationally acclaimed Igor Butman Orchestra (now — Moscow Jazz Orchestra),  Quartet and Quintet, described by DownBeat Magazine as «an outfit of virtuosos». In past 20 years Igor Butman along with his bands toured dozens of countries and performed at the world’s biggest festivals.

Igor Butman released 17 albums both as a leader and co-leader, including Magic Land (Sony Classical) featuring Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, John Patitucci, Stefon Harris and Randy Brecker. 

Igor Butman Music Group, led by Mr Butman, consists of the Igor Butman Jazz Club in Moscow, the Butman Music Records and the biggest Russian jazz concert agency IBMG, which runs 12 jazz festivals in Russia and represents the finest Russian artists abroad.

In 2016 Igor Butman was elected the President of the Russian Authors’ Society (Russian equivalent of ASCAP). In 2018 he became the initiator and co-artistic director (along with Herbie Hancock) of the International Jazz Day in St. Petersburg.

Since 2019 Mr Butman has been the head of the first Jazz Academy in thehistory of Russia.

Director General of Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives

Roman Karmanov

Director of Akra Jazz Festival

Kadir Dursun

Founder and general manager of Nisville jazz festival

Ivan Blagojevic

Ivan Blagojevic – founder and general manager of Nisville jazz festival ( www.nisville.com , Nis, Serbia) was born at January 7th 1959. Graduated at Faculty of economy, Nis (Bachelor of Economics – specialized in Culture Management). Until 1990, he was succesfull theatre director (several rewards for best directing on nationaly festivals of amateur theatres). Author of concepts and main organiser of following events: Nisville jazz festival – 28 editions, Theatre Yu fest – 4 editions, Rock festival – 3 editions, Festival of chamber music – 1 edition and few art colonies. He incarnated and organized New Year’s Eve celebration at the central city square of Nis, with more than 150 performers in front of 100.000 visitors. He published several music edition and literature publications. He wrote book of essays “Walk on Jazz”.

The jazz festival tradition in Niš, initiated in 1981, and terminated in 1991, was renewed at the end of 1994 thanks to the producer and economist who specializes in cultural management, Ivan Blagojević, theatre director by vocation. From the festival’s very beginning, its concept has been based on presenting the ‘traditional’ jazz forms together with their fusion with the ethnic tradition from the different parts of the world, especially from the Balkans.

Based on estimates, over 17.000 musicians have performed at Nišville Jazz festival, and their concerts have probably been attended by more than 1.750,000 visitors. Ever since the move to the plateau in the Fortress, the following have been among those who performed at Nisville: Solomon Burke, Joss Stone, Jean Luc Ponty Quartet, Osibisa, Al Di Meola, Christian Scott, Maria Joao, Bob Geldof, Earth, Wind and Fire, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, John Patittuci, Lollo Meier, Opus 5, Kim Clark & Joe Bowie, Lydian Sound Orchestra, Richard Galliano, Hans and Candy Dulfer, Benny Golson, Mingus Dynasty, Sly & Robbie ft. Junior Reid, Chico Freeman, Milcho Leviev, Stanley Jordan, Mungo Jerry Blues Band, Rick Margitza, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, Miroslav Vitous, Grace Kelly, Jamie Davis, Incognito, Kyle Eastwood, Hubert Tubbs, Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion ft. Pee Wee Ellis, Jazzanova, Ron Carter Golden Striker Trio ft. Russel Malone, Nouvelle Vague, Marius Neset, Joe Bowie, Roy Hargrove, De Phazz, The Brand New Heavies, Georgie Fame, Terje Rypdal, Manu Dibango, Yehia Khalil Gipsy Kings, Goran Bregovic etc.

In 2016. Nišville Jazz Festival was chosen by The Guar-dian as one of the best jazz festivals of Europe, alongside Mon-treux jazz festival, Umbria jazz festival, North Sea jazz festival etc. The festival was also highly recommended  by the British BBC in 2017. on their BBC Travel portal.

Festival‘s whole hearted devotion to preserve musical legacy of the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe, is witnessed by the prestigious award from 2016. awarded to the director of the festival, Ivan Blagojević. The “Zlatni Vek“ (“Golden Age“) award is the highest honour awarded by The Bulgarian Mini-stry of Culture to foreign citizens, and mr. Blagojević is the first citizen of Serbia to receive the award.

Every year, Nišville is followed by over 450 accredited journalists from Serbia and abroad, and among them, there are representatives of renowned music and political magazines. For example, in his portrayal of Nišville, the critic from the most famous jazz magazine, “Downbeat”, paid special attention to some of the participants at the festival from Serbia, i.e. from the Balkans, while the reporter from the unofficial media of the European Union, the Brussels magazine “New Europe”, headlined the text on the festival (announced on the front page), as “Nišville – the European Face of Serbia”!

Vocalist, arranger, composer

Alina Engibaryan

Saxophonist, Director of Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra

Yuriy Bogatyrev

Chief Editor of VK Music

Sergey Mudrik

Director of Bahrain Jazz Fest

Jude D’Souza

Jude D’Souza is the festival director of Bahrain Jazz Fest, Bahrains’s international jazz festivalestablished in 2017 now operating in its 6th successful year. With a celebrated background in marketingand media over 2 decades, Jude founded the festival’s holding company in 2016, Clockwork, which isBahrain’s leading agency for music management, experiential marketing and events. Bahrain Jazz Festtoday is the biggest music festival in Bahrain having hosted over 100 international jazz and blues bandswhile attracting over 30,000 people over the last 5 years. The festival plays a pivotal role in communityand schools youth development through its many outreach programs. In 2021, Bahrain Jazz Fest wasofficial recognised by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and UNESCO as an Official OrganisationalPartner of International Jazz Day.

Program Manager, Director of NGO Urbani Cult (Budva, Montenegro)

Vinko Mihajlović

Vinko Mihajlović is a marketing expert with thirty years’ experience and the director of UrbaniKult, an NGO founded in 2006 Its mission is to promote culture and strengthen the role ofNGOs in Montenegro and abroad. Such music events as Petrovac Jazz Festival, MontenegroSun Reggae Festival (Montenegro) and Jazzaland Festival Temerin (Serbia) are held under theauspices of the organization, with Vinko as the organizer and artistic director of all theseprojects.

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra of Tatarstan

Sergey Vasiliev

Director of Mussorgsky Jazz Orchestra, Music Director of Georgy Garanyan’s ensemble “Melody”

Sergey Bogdanov

Music Director of Bolshoi Jazz Orchestra

Petr Vostokov

CEO and the art director of Helicon Jazz Club, Novokuznetsk

Olga Yushkova

She is the CEO and the art director of Helicon Jazz Club in the city of Novokuznetsk.

Olga produces such international festivals as Jazz by the Old Castle, KuZnya jazZ, and the Siberian Encounters Arts Festival. She is also an award-winning vocalist at several international festivals, and the MP of “A Just Russia – For Truth” political party for the City Assembly.

Artistic Director and conductor of Bashkir State Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra

Oleg Kasimov

Drummer, bandleader, composer

Oleg Butman

Radio host, Artistic Director of Koktebel Jazz Party

Mikhail Ikonnikov

Music manager, Sergey Golovnya’s project leader, creative producer of Magnetophone Music Agency

Leyla Tuleusheva

Founder of Jazzist Online Magazine & Record Label

Lev Borovkov

Composer, pianist, multi-instrumentalist, producer

Konstantin Khazanovich

Journalist, author, publisher of Jazz.Ru magazine

Kirill Moshkov

The Karelian State Philharmonic

Irina Ustinova

Director of the Sakhalin Philharmonic

Ilya Alexandrov

CEO of Petroconcert

Artyushkina Ekaterina

Singer, film score composer, arranger

Dmitiy Noskov

Head of Strelka Jazz Festival

Daria Ghitelson

Saxophonist, composer, educator, soloist of Moscow Jazz Orchestra

Anton Chekurov

Jazz trombonist, arranger, lecturer, Dizzy Dutch Duck fusion band leader

Anton Boyarskikh

Music Producer of Tavrida Art Cluster

Anna Hramova

Deputy Director of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Society for International Relations

Alena Bolkvadze

Pianist, producer

Alexey Cheremizov

Pianist, producer, bandleader

Alexey Podymkin

Journalist, TV and radio host, music producer on Radio Russia

Alexey Pevchev

Producer, organizer, community leader

Alexey Krivsky

Singer-songwriter, music producer, vocal coach

Alexandra Almazova

Head of Musical Variety Art Department, Director of Rostov College of Arts Big Band

Adam Teratsuyan

Founder of WartaJazz, Indonesia

Agus Setiawan Basuni

Jazzpreneur Agus Setiawan Basuni, loves to travel and cook. Over the years he has produced more than 10 Jazz Festivals in Indonesia. His organisation, WartaJazz in the an ecosystem of Jazz in Indonesia.Proactively working with multiple organisations and individuals promoting Jazz and World Music, Agus is one of the key figures in bringing Indonesian arts and music to the world.

Settlers manager

Alexandra Evlashkina

Director of Igor Butman Foundation, Executive Producer of Oleg Akkuratov

Anton Sergeyev

People’s Artist of Russia, pianist, educator, composer, producer

Daniil Kramer

Executive Producer of Leningrad Bridges Festival, Proletarian Tango frontman, actor

Dmitry Karanevsky

Technical director and sound engineer of Igor Butman Music Group and Moscow Jazz Orchestra

Evgeniy Pocikaylik