This October the eleventh edition of the Liceu Jazz – Masterclasses & Concerts begins!
One more year, the Conservatori Liceu offers a unique concert series full of master classes and concerts by musicians of recognized international prestige, within the framework of the collaboration that the Fundació Conservatori Liceu has maintained for eleven years with the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival, with the patronage of the Ferrer-Salat Music Foundation.
During the months of October, November and December, Fundació Conservatori Liceu becomes the nerve center of international jazz, bringing together top-level musicians who, apart from offering high-quality concerts, will share spaces for the exchange of knowledge with the students of the Higher Center, offering them the unique opportunity to get up close and play with them. These activities will take place in the Auditori Conservatori Liceu, a space located in the heart of the Raval neighbourhood, fully consolidated and recognized as one of the best of its kind in our country.
20 masterclasses have been scheduled in this edition of the cycle, which will include the participation of musicians such as Shai Maestro, Sofiane Pamart, Samara Joy, Edmar Castañeda, Grégoire Maret, Avishai Cohen, Mark Turner, Steve Coleman, James Francies , Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Yamandú Costa, Cyrille Aimée, Nduduzo Makhathini, Marc Ribot, Rafael Riqueni, Rosario La Tremendita, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier, Jordi Rossy or Paquito d’Rivera.
This year we will host 25 concerts, among which the participation of great jazz figures stands out, such as: Jordi Rossy, who will offer 4 concerts with different ensembles; Mark Turner, who will perform with his quartet; Larry Grenadier, who on this occasion will perform in a duet with Rebbeca Martin; Kevin Hays, who will come as a trio accompanied by Ben Street and Billy Hart; Kurt Rosenwinkel, with his «The Chopin Project», together with Jean-Paul Brodbeck and Jordi Rossy; Shai Maestro and Avishai Cohen with their respective quartets; Steve Coleman with his Five Elements; Nduduzo Makhathini with his band; Marc Ribot on solo guitar; and the tribute to Tete Montoliu “El Meu Tete”.
We will also be visited by emerging talents on the international jazz scene, such as the young singers Samara Joy and Cyrille Aimée, or the pianists Sofiane Pamart and James Francies with their respective projects.
In addition, beyond jazz, we will have performances by the famous flamenco guitarist Rafael Riqueni; the cantaora Rosario la Tremendita; the interesting group starring the harp of Edmar Castañeda and the harmonica of Grégoire Maret or the virtuosity of the acclaimed Brazilian guitarist Yamandú Costa.
In a special way, the drummer, vibraphonist, pianist and percussionist Jordi Rossy will be the protagonist of the Artist Portrait with four premiere concerts at the Liceu Conservatory, leading the trio with Robert Landfermann and Jeff Ballard (November 3), in a cooperative trio with vocalist Carme Canela and guitarist Jaume Llombart (November 7), as sideman of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s new adventure, a vibrant jazz reinterpretation of Chopin’s music (November 30) and as guest soloist with the Liceu Jazz Group (October 19).
This year the Liceu Conservatory’s Carta Blanca will present four great ensembles: the Liceu Gran Ensemble, the Liceu Big Band, the Liceu BLAM Collective and the Liceu Jazz Grup. These ensembles are made up of students and directed by the teachers of the Department of Jazz and Modern Music. The Conservatori Liceu curriculum, with the practice in these projects, promotes training both in the classroom and on stage, with the aim of facilitating student access to professional experiences. Developing education in the classrooms and culture in the stages has been part of the Liceu’s DNA since its origins.
The Liceu Gran Ensemble is an innovative ensemble that breaks any barrier between musical styles and genres. It is a project born from the collaboration between the Departments of Jazz and Modern Music and the Department of Orchestral Instruments. The Big Band ensemble is mixed in an unusual way with the string section, based on an experimental repertoire that transports the public to a special atmosphere by the hands of its director, Toni Vaquer.
The Liceu Big Band is one of the few stable ensembles of its kind in our country that offers a completely professional experience. It has established itself as one of the essential groups on the city’s jazz scene. Directed by one of the most expert Big Band arrangers in the country, Sergi Vergés.
The Liceu BLAM Collective is a ensemble based in the field of modern music, where students are directed by teachers Pedro Campos and Alex Dee and is presented as a burst of music, full of influences of Black American Music and Afro-American music in general. It is a ensemble that has burst into the cosmos of the Conservatori Liceu as one of the big bets, and that initially had the artistic and musical accompaniment of Michael League, founder of the renowned band Snarky Puppy.
The Liceu Jazz Grup, made up of some of the Conservatory’s most outstanding students, who work on a highly demanding repertoire under the direction of one of the most important Jazz musicians on the current scene, the saxophonist Bill McHenry, and in this edition of the Liceu Jazz it will feature the artistry of Jordi Rossy.
Also worth noting, within the Conservatori Liceu’s Carta Blanca, is the concert by Ferran Rico, Extraordinary Prize in Jazz and Modern Music Performance Studies of the Conservatori Liceu corresponding to the 2021-2022 academic year.
This year, an special subscription is offered at special prices for the four concerts starring the great ensembles of the Liceu Conservatory: Liceu Jazz Grup, Liceu Big Band, Liceu Gran Ensemble and Liceu BLAM Ensemble.
We hope you enjoy this proposal and the program of masterclasses and concerts. You can check the complete agenda, and if you want to do a musical journey through the artists that will accompany us, you can listen to this playlist that we have prepared for the occasion.
Previous editions of Liceu Jazz: