Lviv, the jazz capital of Ukraine, hosts yet another Leopolis Jazz Fest at the end of June.
The annual festival, earlier known as Alfa Jazz, has been held in the city since 2011. This year, it kicked off on June 27 and will last until July 1.
See also: The first day of Leopolis Jazz Fest in photos
Listed by The Guardian as one of the top jazz festivals in Europe, the festival features the world stars of jazz, and no surprise there are only a few tickets left available for purchase.
The art curator of the festival and famous Ukrainian jazz musician Alexey Kogan says that he will be surprised if everybody likes the program of Leopolis.
“There always has to be someone who is not satisfied because jazz is the music of free people and those who want to be free,” Kogan told the Kyiv Post.
The festival holds performances on three stages – Eddie Rosner stage at Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Park, which requires tickets to attend, and two stages with free entrance – on Rynok Square and near Pototskykh Palace.
The first day of the festival started off with performances on the free-entrance stage at the central Rynok Square.
Peirani & Parisien Duo Art from France opened the festival intertwining accordion and saxophone sounds into contemporary jazz.
The duo was followed by Austrian chamber jazz band HI5 – the quartet felt free to experiment and played contrasting music – from slow and tender ballets to loud rockish jazz.
Both bands received a warm reaction from the audience – all seats were taken and many were standing around to be able to enjoy music.
“You guys were great. We didn‘t expect such a motivated crowd,” the bass player of HI5 Clemens Rofner told the Kyiv Post.
The main shows of Leopolis Jazz Fest take place at the Eddie Rosner Stage – this was where the legendary U.S. musician and composer Charles Lloyd and The Marvels performed on the night on June 27.
The musicians played avant-garde jazz immersing the audience into a calm and almost meditative atmosphere. Famous master of saxophone and flute, Lloyd charmed the listeners with the magic of the woodwind instruments sounding.
The headliner of the first day, a British jazz-pop musician Jamie Cullum caused a real furor – the performer threw an energetic show jumping from his piano and joining the dancing crowd near the stage, which won him a standing ovation that went on for several minutes.
One of the youngest Cullum’s fans, four-year-old Angelina Prygrodska got to join the singer on the stage, dance and even play his piano. She says that he is her favorite singer because “his music is interesting” and she loves to dance to it.
Along with her mother Emilia, Angelina has attended the festival every year since birth.
The performances at the Eddie Rosner Stage also attracted officials and celebrities including Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan, singer Jamala and the lead singer of the Okean Elzy band Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
Jamala, who is a regular attendee and performer of Leopolis says that it’s the only festival in Ukraine that brings musicians that are at the height of popularity now.
The singer says that other Ukraine’s music festivals feature performers who are not as popular and who are cheaper to bring.
“Leopolis brings artists that are superstars today,” Jamala told the Kyiv Post. “It’s fresh.”
One of such stars is the U.S. superband R+R=NOW, who will perform songs from their just-released album “Collagically Speaking” on June 28 at the Eddie Rosner Stage at 7 p.m.
Apart from the music shows, Leopolis Jazz Fest will hold workshops, film screenings, and jam sessions. The events will take place in Lviv every day by July 1. Check the program here.
