International Jazz Day

On 30 April Lithuania, together with the whole world, marks International Jazz Day – a UNESCO initiative dedicated to jazz as a language of freedom, creativity, dialogue between cultures and mutual understanding. The Lithuanian Jazz Union is one of the main coordinators and organisers of this day’s initiatives in Lithuania.

International Jazz Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011. Its aim is to draw attention not only to the musical and cultural importance of jazz but also to its ability to unite different communities and encourage dialogue, tolerance, creative freedom and international cooperation. Every year on 30 April musicians, concert organisers, cultural institutions, schools and jazz communities around the world join the initiative.

On the initiative of the Secretariat of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and the Lithuanian Jazz Union, Lithuania joined the world map of International Jazz Day celebrations in 2013. Since then, at the end of April the jazz community has been invited to come together at concerts, educational events, creative initiatives and other projects dedicated to Jazz Day.

One of the main highlights of International Jazz Day in Lithuania has become “Jazz Brunch” (“Džiazo priešpiečiai”) – an event organised by the Lithuanian Jazz Union and the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO that traditionally opens the programme of events for the occasion.

Over many years “Jazz Brunch” has taken place in various cultural spaces in Vilnius, and its programmes have featured Lithuanian and foreign jazz musicians of different generations. The event constantly looks for new forms and partners, and jazz meets here other themes of culture, international cooperation and public concern.

For the Lithuanian Jazz Union, International Jazz Day is more than an annual concert. It is a chance to bring the country’s jazz community together, increase the visibility of jazz, encourage new initiatives and present Lithuanian jazz as part of the global cultural community.

The Union invites musicians, festivals, clubs, concert organisers, schools and other cultural organisations to join the celebration of International Jazz Day, organise their own events and register them on the official International Jazz Day platform.