11-17 May 2009 Sibiu Jazz Festival

 It was the early '70's when this festival started in Romania, but the first three editions took place in Ploiesti. By that time it was actually a National festival, as all the musicians where Romanian, due to the communist regime. The same reason determined the festival to pack it's bags and move from Ploiesti into the hands of the Sibiu Jazz Club, in 1974. Now we all know that Sibiu, this little Transilvanian burg, always enjoyed a higher cultural level and it's recognized for it's ancient European culture. So it's easy to understand why jazz artists and fans ran away from “the ideological pollution ” that was eating Ploiesti alive.

  So years passed and Sibiu Jazz club and the festival became more and more important, actually the biggest and most powerful in Romania. People started to call Sibiu the jazz capital of Romania, and, let's face it, the city and the festival deserves it. Both youngsters and elders gathered together and started calling each other fellow members of the Sibiu Jazz Club.

  One of the founders of the club, J.K. Schmidt , managed to get in touch with all kind of cultural centers or embassies from over the boarder of Romania, risking his neck, but in the same time, turning the promising festival into an international one. In 1977 the festival becomes the International Jazz Festival because of the presence of a band from Czechoslovakia. Four years later the first Open Air Jam Session in Romania takes place during the festival.

  I hope that with this little intro in the history of the Sibiu Jazz Festival I made you understand why this is an unique event in Romania, and further on I will present you the program for this year.

  Monday, May 11

 „Focus Jazz” multimedia exposition varnishing day

 Sibiu Jazz Festival Contest

  Tuesday, May 12

 Awarding Ceremony for the Student Jazz Band Gala

 Winning bands concert - 9^th edition

  Wednesday, May13

 19.00 Headliner (Romania)  (Romania)- Small Square- free entrance

 19.30 Radio String Quartet Viena (Austria) - Thalia Hall

  21.30 Florin Răducanu Quartet feat. Jasper Blom (Romania/Holland) -Gong Theater

  Thursday, May 14

 19.00 Marcian Petrescu "Trenul de noapte" (Romania)- Small Square- free entrance

 19.30 Tricycle King Size (Belgium)- Gong Theater

 21.30 Kampec Dolores (Hungary)- Gong Theater

  Friday, May 15

 19.00 Ioan Gyuri Pascu & "The Blue Workers" (Romania)- Small Square- free entrance

 19.30 Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet (Poland)- Gong Theater

 21.30 Thorbjorn Risager Septet (Denmark / Norway)- Thalia Hall

  Saturday, May 16

  19.00 PREZENT mini bigband (Romania)- Small Square- free entrance

 19.30 Teodora Enache & 4Given (Romania)- Gong Theater

  21.30 Omar Sosa Quartet (Cuba / Mozambic / Senegal) "Afreecanos"- Thalia Hall

  Sunday, May 17

  16.00 Mandinga (Romania)- Small Square- free entrance

  20.00 Arturo Sandoval (Cuba / USA)- Thalia Hall

The entrance fee is 30 lei for one night (except for the first 2 nights and the events in the Small Square, where it's free), and 15 lei for students. Usually, the jam sessions are taking place in Imperium Pub, but if you're at the Jazz Fest and you want to go, please double check with one of the volunteers.