In brief
The festival kicked off on Friday in Plovdiv with a Miles Davis centenary program brought to life by Rossen Zahariev All Stars. Over three days, the event hosted a mix of Bulgarian and worldwide musicians, including Aaron Parks, Emma Smith, Cenk Erdogan, Elina Duni, and Shai Maestro, while planning a lifetime award for Hilda Kazasyan. Plovdiv’s cultural institutions and the Ministry of Culture highlighted the growing young jazz audience and the city’s role in the global jazz landscape.
The 12th Plovdiv Jazz Fest opened on Friday, 6 November 2026, in the historic city of Plovdiv, with a tribute program celebrating the 100th anniversary of Miles Davis’s birth. The opening concert was staged by the local ensemble Rossen Zahariev All Stars, who mapped Davis’s journey from bebop to hip‑hop across the decades, covering the period between the albums Birth of the Cool and Doo‑Bop. Musicians accompanying the group were pianist Steve Hamilton, double‑bassist Vasil Hajigrudev, drummer Borislav Petrov, tenor saxophonist Petar Momchev and beatboxer Alexander “SkilleR” Deyanov. Trumpeter Vili Stoyanov hosted the night, while the program closed with pianist and composer Aaron Parks and his trio.
In her welcoming address, festival organizer and artistic director Miroslava Katsarova noted that this year marked the first time the Plovdiv Jazz Fest had run for three consecutive editions. She highlighted a shift in the festival’s audience profile, with a noticeable rise in younger listeners coexisting alongside long‑time jazz aficionados. During the ceremony, Katsarova read a greeting from Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev, who praised jazz for its “improvisational freedom, stylistic diversity and ability to unite individual artistic expression,” and remarked that the festival sustains this tradition and strengthens Bulgaria’s presence in the international jazz scene.
Night two, scheduled for 7 November, brought a blend of international voices to the stage. British singer Emma Smith and her quartet debuted, while Turkish guitarist Cenk Erdogan and his trio performed. Erdogan is recognized for his fretless guitar work and use of the tambura, combining Anatolian musical traditions with contemporary jazz. These performances underscored the festival’s commitment to cross‑cultural collaboration and to showcasing both domestic and global talent.
The final day, 8 November, featured Swiss‑Albanian vocalist and composer Elina Duni and her quartet, followed by the band led by pianist Shai Maestro. Throughout the three‑day event, the festival highlighted the vitality of the Bulgarian jazz scene, stressing that the city’s musical output continues to evolve while maintaining a strong dialogue with the world. In addition to its programmatic offerings, a lifetime achievement award is slated for jazz singer Hilda Kazasyan, recognizing her enduring contribution to the genre in Bulgaria.
Institutional Support and Future Plans
The Plovdiv Jazz Fest is organized with the support of Plovdiv Municipality as part of the city’s 2026 Cultural Calendar, along with the Ministry of Culture. On 30 April 2026, the Bulgarian News Agency announced the creation of a national jazz press club, aimed at fostering professional journalism dedicated to jazz music across the country. These initiatives reflect a broader effort to embed jazz more firmly within Bulgaria’s cultural architecture and to provide platforms for both performers and critics alike.
