HIGHLIGHTS

Avishai Cohen is one of the most significant contemporary jazz musicians — a bassist, composer, and vocalist widely recognised for placing the double bass at the centre of modern jazz expression. His work encompasses a unique blend of jazz, classical, pop, Latin, and Middle Eastern influences, earning him international acclaim, including the prestigious Miles Davis Award presented by the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

Raised in a multicultural family with roots spanning Spain, Greece, and Poland, Cohen began his musical journey as a pianist before discovering the bass guitar and the music of Jaco Pastorius, which ultimately led him to the double bass. After moving to New York in the early 1990s, he went through a challenging period that helped shape his distinctive artistic voice.

A major turning point in his career came through his collaboration with Chick Corea. Following this partnership, Cohen became a member of the ensembles Origin and New Trio, establishing himself as both a composer and performer on the international stage. His early albums already showcased a distinctive style that fused Mediterranean and Latin influences with the language of contemporary jazz.

Throughout his career, he has released a series of influential albums and projects, including Gently Disturbed, Aurora, Seven Seas, and Arvoles, as well as numerous orchestral and chamber works that have expanded his musical expression towards classical and symphonic forms. His concerts around the world are renowned for their emotional intensity, improvisational freedom, and strong connection with audiences.

In recent years, Cohen has developed new trio and quintet formations featuring younger musicians, while also collaborating with leading European orchestras such as Metropole Orkest. His latest work continues to bridge generations of musicians and musical genres, maintaining his signature blend of energy, melody, and innovation.

Throughout his career, Avishai Cohen has built bridges between different musical worlds. With his new album ETERNAL CHILD (2026), however, he turns towards his most personal stories. Named after his longtime best friend, the album is a tribute to family, friends, collaborators, and the relationships that shape our lives.

Through his distinctive combination of virtuosity, rhythm, and emotion, Cohen transforms personal connections into music, reminding us that our greatest inspiration often comes from the simplest human relationships.

These stories come vividly to life on stage, where intimacy, energy, and exceptional musicianship create an unforgettable concert experience.

Line-up:
Avishai Cohen – double bass
Itay Simhovich – piano
Eviatar Slivnik – drums

Today, Avishai Cohen is regarded as one of the defining voices of contemporary jazz, whose performances embody a remarkable fusion of virtuosity, emotion, and a powerful musical identity.

Milena Casado, whom The New York Times described as a "revelation," is one of the most striking new voices in contemporary jazz. Known for her fluid improvisation and deeply personal compositions, she moves effortlessly between acoustic music and electronic experimentation, blending tradition and innovation.

She was recently recognized by the LA Times as an essential emerging artist keeping the spirit of jazz alive, and WBGO included her among contemporary jazz musicians worth knowing. She has already gained significant attention through collaborations with artists such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Chris Dave, and other key figures on the contemporary music scene, earning widespread critical acclaim. She has performed on some of the world’s most important stages and festivals, including Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, The Kennedy Center, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival, among others.

As an increasingly prominent bandleader, Casado leads her own regular quintet, with which she has appeared at festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, NYC Winter Jazzfest, and other major venues. With this ensemble, she released her debut album Reflection of Another Self on Candid Records.

Reflection of Another Self is an impressive debut album — sonically adventurous and deeply personal, a journey of self-discovery and resilience, and a confrontation with personal trauma. It is a bold statement from an artist who has spent years refining her voice alongside major names and patiently building her path, creating a debut worthy of someone ready to significantly reshape the contemporary jazz landscape.

Joe Lovano, Grammy Award winner and one of the most significant saxophonists in contemporary jazz, is known for his uncompromising exploration of new musical expressions. Born in Cleveland in 1952, he studied at Berklee College of Music, where he later received an honorary doctorate, and since 2001 has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance. Over a career spanning several decades, Lovano has collaborated with numerous jazz legends, including Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Bill Frisell, Tony Bennett, and many others, while as a leader he has released more than 25 albums for Blue Note Records, as well as a number of recordings for ECM Records.

His music covers a wide spectrum of contemporary jazz expression, from classic quartets to experimental projects, including Trio Tapestry and Sound Prints. Lovano has received numerous awards from DownBeat, JazzTimes, and the Jazz Journalists Association, and his work is regarded as one of the key contributions to the development of modern jazz.

Antonio Faraò, one of the most prominent European jazz pianists of recent decades, is known for his exceptional technique, strong rhythmic sensibility, and distinctive melodic expression. Born in Rome in 1965, he began his career with early recognition on the Italian jazz scene and soon established an international profile through collaborations with artists such as Jack DeJohnette, Chris Potter, Gary Bartz, Billy Cobham, John Patitucci, and many others.

His work is characterized by a blend of emotional expressiveness, harmonic sophistication, and powerful improvisational energy, which has also been recognised by artists such as Herbie Hancock, who has repeatedly praised his outstanding musical talent. Faraò has performed on the world’s most important stages and festivals, including high-profile projects such as International Jazz Day under the patronage of UNESCO.

In the project Joe Lovano & Antonio Faraò: Explorations, these two artists meet in a unique musical dialogue that brings together different traditions of contemporary jazz. Their interaction creates space for free improvisation, strong communication, and a deep understanding of musical language.

The rhythm section of the quartet consists of double bassist Ira Coleman, known for his collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, and drummer Jonathan Blake, one of the leading figures of the contemporary jazz scene, who has worked with Tom Harrell, Chris Potter, and Ravi Coltrane.

The Explorations project represents contemporary jazz in its most vibrant form — through the dialogue of top-tier soloists and an ensemble that bridges deep tradition with an openness to new musical directions.

Emma Smith is one of the most prominent contemporary jazz vocalists on the British scene, and the recipient of the Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year award for 2024. She has performed in prestigious concert venues and jazz clubs around the world, collaborating with artists such as Michael Bublé, the Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, as well as the Jeremy Pelt / Wayne Escoffery Quintet.

She gained wider recognition as a member of the vocal group The Puppini Sisters, as well as through four years of work on BBC Radio 3 and performances with Ronnie Scott’s All Stars. Following a successful tour with the American ensemble Postmodern Jukebox, she was named Jazz Act of the Year at the 2024 Jools Holland Boisdale Music Awards.

Raised in a family of jazz musicians, Emma Smith was surrounded from early childhood by bebop tradition, harmonies, and jazz improvisation. Her debut album Meshuga Baby achieved millions of streams and significant radio support, while her new album Bitter Orange presents a personal and contemporary approach to jazz vocals, combining elegance, emotion, and a strong artistic voice.

Francesca Tandoi is regarded as one of the most prominent and most virtuosic musicians on the contemporary international jazz scene. Thanks to her exceptional musicianship, energy, and brilliant technique, she has gained a large global audience and significant recognition from critics and professionals alike. In recent years, she has performed on some of the most prestigious concert stages and jazz clubs across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States, selling out shows in legendary venues such as Blue Note Milano, Duc des Lombards in Paris, Bimhuis in Amsterdam, and Zig Zag in Berlin.

Her latest album, Bop Web, has been met with great success from both audiences and critics, blending the spirit of bebop and hard bop traditions with a contemporary musical expression. To date, she has appeared on more than twenty recordings, including three albums as the pianist in the quartet of renowned saxophonist Scott Hamilton. Her album Winddance was ranked among the ten best jazz albums of 2017 by the Japanese magazine Jazz Life, which described her as one of the most promising young talents on the European jazz scene.

In addition to her successful performing career, Francesca Tandoi is also a respected professor at a conservatory and has led numerous masterclasses dedicated to jazz and piano at universities and music academies around the world. Her latest release for the Spanish record label Fresh & Sound Records presents an ambitious project that combines her trio with a string quartet, marking another significant step in the artistic development of one of the brightest voices in European jazz today.

Vladimir Kostadinović is widely recognised as one of the leading European jazz drummers of his generation, known for his highly musical approach, refined sense of timing, and strong artistic voice. Born in Serbia and now based in Vienna, he actively performs across Europe, the United States, and Asia. He will appear at the Novi Sad Jazz Festival with his outstanding quartet.

Throughout his career, Kostadinović has received significant awards and excellent reviews from leading international music magazines, including DownBeat, Modern Drummer, and JazzTimes, which have particularly highlighted his compositional voice and distinctive approach to the drums.

One of the most important milestones in his discography is the album IRIS, released in 2025 by the prestigious Dutch record label Criss Cross Jazz, one of the most respected jazz imprints in the world. The album received outstanding international media attention and was included among the Best Jazz Albums of 2025 according to DownBeat magazine, further confirming Kostadinović’s status as a significant voice in contemporary jazz.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with numerous renowned musicians from the international jazz scene, including legendary vibraphonist Joe Locke, as well as Benny Golson, Chris Potter, George Garzone, Geoffrey Keezer, Kevin Hays, Duško Gojković, Gregory Porter, Alex Sipiagin, Seamus Blake, and Antonio Faraò, among many others.

His playing is characterised by a deep understanding of musical form, exceptional control of dynamics, and an interactive approach that bridges tradition and contemporary jazz expression. As a bandleader and highly regarded collaborator, he continues to perform at major festivals and concert stages around the world.