From 22–26 April 2026, Wrocław will once again host one of Central Europe’s quintessential jazz gatherings — the 62nd Jazz nad Odrą Festival. Spanning five days across two dynamic stages (Impart Centrum and Firlej), this year’s edition highlights the festival’s enduring commitment to artistic diversity, exploratory improvisation, and an inclusive spectrum of jazz idioms. 

Programme Highlights: An Eclectic Jazz Lineup

The festival opens on 22 April with the prestigious Wojtek Siwek Jazz Individuality Competition, spotlighting emerging talent and underscoring Jazz nad Odrą’s role in nurturing the next generation of jazz innovators. This competition places artistic individuality at the centre of the festival’s ethos. 

Across the week, audiences will encounter a breadth of creative voices:

• Lars Danielsson and the Liberetto III Echomyr project alongside the Peter Erskine Quartet showcase European and American jazz virtuosity converging in sophisticated melodic frameworks. 
• Creative ensembles like Michael Mayo – Fly and Patrick Bartley Quartet – New Visions reflect the forward-leaning edge of contemporary jazz composition. 
• On the closing evening, Pablo Held Trio and a tribute programme Miles/Coltrane Legacy featuring Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane pay homage to pivotal figures whose influence remains vital in today’s jazz landscape. 

Late-night performances and jam sessions at Firlej — featuring resident groups such as the Dominik Gawroński Quartet — sustain the festival’s communal, spontaneous ethos deep into each evening. 

A Milestone Premiere: Voices of Human Consciousness

One of the most anticipated moments of the festival occurs on 25 April at 23:00 at Firlej, when Dorota Piotrowska & Sound Circle feat. Greg Osby, Hildegunn Øiseth, Tarek Yamani, Ameen Saleem, Barbaro Crespo “Machito” present their new work live. 

This performance serves as the official premiere of the album Voices of Human Consciousness — a project that brings together artists from seven cultural backgrounds — spanning the USA, Poland, Lebanon, Cuba, Norway, and Turkey — in a set of improvised compositions that explore dialogue as both a musical and human principle. From Norwegian fjords to Arabic rhythms; Polish lyricism to the traditions of American jazz; it’s talented musicians from different backgrounds who aren’t afraid to let improvised musical dialogue lead their work and break conventions. 

www.jno.org.pl

Contact: fundacja (AT) jno.org.pl
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