News

Successful 14th edition of inJazz – the online edition

26 June 2020

This year’s alternative edition of inJazz was a great success! With over 300 international attendees for the conference, ‘sold out’ panel sessions, the announcement of the Buma Boy Edgar Prize 2020 and innumerable viewers of our festival livestream and pre-recorded videos. Normally, inJazz – an initiative of Buma – is the start of two weeks of jazz in Rotterdam followed by North Sea Round Town and NN North Sea Jazz Festival. This year, Holland’s celebrated showcase, conference and network event organized its first ever online conference and festival on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June.

Online conference with 300+ attendees
General director Ikaros van Duppen: “When it comes to the conference, the matchmaking sessions are by far my favourite part. Meeting new people and sharing our passion for jazz. This year, we have facilitated 140 online one-on-one sessions. For many it’s the perfect opportunity to get to speak that busy and sought-after music professional.”
The online conference counted fourteen panel talks on Thursday and Friday afternoon. Conference programmer Mark van Schaick: “With inJazz we’ve built up a nice international network in recent years, but it still surprised us how well the online conference has been picked up. The international panels on the consequences of covid-19 in Europe, and how clubs and festivals deal with audience expectations, were very well attended. The panels with practical explanations about copyright issues in live streaming or the subsidy schemes of Dutch Performing Arts were just as packed. There is a need to get together, to see others, even online, if necessary. And whoever registered could easily make contacts, that must have played a part as well”.

Ack van Rooyen wins the Buma Boy Edgar Prize 2020
The Buma Boy Edgar Prize, the most prestigious award for jazz and improvised music in the Netherlands, has been awarded to legendary flugelhorn and trumpet player Ack van Rooyen. The news was announced at the end of the online inJazz conference, broadcast live from LantarenVenster on www.injazz.nl. Ack van Rooyen (The Hague, 1930) is the embodiment of Holland’s colourful jazz history. As part of the award, he is invited to curate a concert evening at BIMHUIS, during which he is presented with the award, which consists of a cash prize of €12,500 and a bronze sculpture by Jan Wolkers.

Online festival with international highlights
inJazz took the plunge and hosted its festival online as well. Showcases by Dutch jazz artists were broadcast live from Holland’s leading jazz venues LantarenVenster and BIMHUIS. Two nights long, innumerable music lovers from all over the world tuned in and enjoyed live music from Holland’s finest. With live performances by Xavi Torres – A Kind of Beethoven, Jan Geijtenbeek Trio ft. Thomas Pol and Niek de Bruijn, Maripepa Contreras Quintet, Mundus Quartet, Canvas, Bonsai Panda and SMANDEM. inJazz also streamed pre-recordes shows by Franz von Chossy Trio and Canvas. Next to the livestream, inJazz offered pre-recorded and on demand shows by European jazz acts. All recommended to inJazz by other international and leading organizations. A wonderful online line-up!

We’re still online: enjoy the festival on Friday night
When sending out this press release, the line-up for the second festival night is getting ready at both locations. Tune in from 8:30 pm (CEST) on www.injazz.nl for a scintillating line-up with music from the Kika Sprangers Quintet, Blue Sands, Marta Arpini – Forest Light, SIMIO, Eran Har Even – World Citizen and Young-Woo Lee Quartet. And pre-recorded shows by Fuensanta Méndez (Ensamble Grande), JOHN FROST and Redbourg Group. The Europe inJazz stream contains pre-recorded and on demand music by Tobias Preisig (CH), Nabou (BE), Karen Willems (BE), Commander Spoon (BE), Johanna Summer (DE), Joanna Duda (PL), Susana Santos Silva Impermanence (PT), Coreto (PT) and the project ‘Piece by Piece’ (IE). More information: www.injazz.nl/festival

inJazz 2021
The organization of inJazz is already looking forward to 2021. General director Ikaros van Duppen: “As times are uncertain, we’re not sure if the next edition will be held online or offline. Perhaps it will be a combination of both, but hopefully we’ll meet each other again next year, in real life in Rotterdam. Stay healthy, stay safe and keep listening to jazz!”

inJazz, initiative of Buma Cultuur, is a collaboration with Dutch Performing Arts, LantarenVenster, BIMHUIS, North Sea Round Town, NTR, Europe Jazz Network, Jazz Promotion Network and Stichting Boy Edgar Prijs.

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