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JAmZZ Masterclass Program Brings International Jazz Masters with Young Musicians Together
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The JAmZZ Masterclass program, organized within the scope of the 36th Akbank Jazz Festival, will take place on May 16–17 at BAU Pera Stage in collaboration with BAU Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. This year’s instructor lineup for the program will also include Dave Limina and Phil Grenadier from Berklee College of Music.
The JAmZZ Masterclass program, implemented to open space for new talents and support young musicians as part of the Akbank Jazz Festival—one of Turkey’s most long-standing jazz festivals—continues to add value to the jazz world. This year’s JAmZZ Masterclass will be held on May 16–17, 2026, at the BAU Pera Stage located in the Bahçeşehir University Conservatory Pera Campus.
The faculty for this year’s program will feature leading names from the Turkish jazz scene, including Baki Duyarlar, Barış Doğukan Yazıcı, Ediz Hafızoğlu, Erdal Akyol, Sibel Köse, Şevket Akıncı, and Yeşim Pekiner. Furthermore, Assistant Professor Phil Grenadier from the Berklee College of Music Woodwinds and Ensemble Department and Dave Limina, Chair of the Piano Department, will bring an international perspective to the program. Participants will explore improvisation and collaboration in classic and contemporary jazz styles while developing their skills in listening, communication, and teamwork. Within the program, master jazz musicians will cover style analysis, phrasing, variation, and improvisation approaches through a curriculum selected from the Great American Songbook repertoire in bebop, swing, ballad, and bossa nova jazz styles. Candidates between the ages of 18-22, who are citizens of the Republic of Turkey studying within its borders and have experience in improvisation in classic and contemporary jazz styles, will be able to apply for the program, which has limited capacity.
One participant, to be selected based on the performance evaluations of the instructors, will have the chance to take a strong step into their professional music journey by performing on the stage of the 37th Akbank Jazz Festival. Additionally, two participants will earn the right to attend the Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics workshop program in 2027. The education, accommodation, and travel expenses of the two students entitled to participate in the international workshop program will be covered by the Akbank Jazz Festival.
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