Jazz Festival Nišville

Jazz Festival Nišville, Niš

International Nišville jazz festival is the most visited jazz festival of south-eastern Europe, since its foundation in 1995 Nišville has being consistently defending European values of multiculturalism and patiently fostering musical tastes of individuals. One of the proofs of this is a big article in European magazine “New Europe” that called Nišville “European face of Serbia”

Nišville jazz festival has been a public municipal event of Niš since 2005; in 2010 the Ministry of Culture of Serbia named it National importance event. Nišville received “Best from Serbia 2011” prize from the Ministry of Trade and Services, Economic Chamber of Serbia and magazine “Economic view”, in 2010 Nišville became “Project of Future”, winner of a nomination by Club of Economic journalists and Center for small and medium business. Touristic organization of Serbia always presents Nišville as a part of the offer during international Tourism EXPO inviting people to mythological Niš at the end of August.

Festival’s concept from the very beginning was focused both on “traditional forms” of jazz and fusion of jazz and national music, mainly music of Balkans. American “Downbeat”, the most famous jazz magazine, called Nišville the best stage for promotion jazz from America and its blend with national Balkan trends, which put Balkan music to the vanguard of modern jazz music stage.

Main festival program is held at an open Plateau of Niš Castle within two stages Earth and Sky, many Serbian and foreign musicians perform at free stages: River, Open, Movie, Matine, Welcome, Youth and Jam Session stage.

An important part of Nišville festival is Nišville jazz workshops that started in 2007. First guitar workshop was held by Larry Coryell and Vlatko Stefanovski, in 2008 drummers workshop was organized (held by Billy Cobham and Marion Felder) and a guitar workshop by Rodney Jones, Jan Vaclav Vanek and Stochelo Rosenberg. Since 2009 most outstanding guests of the festival have held free jazz workshops for every musical instrument used for performing jazz.