Established in 1992, the Varna Summer jazz festival has long ago grown to be a symbol of top-notch professionalism in terms of selection of artists for its programme. Since 2000 the festival has taken place on the outdoor stage in the English garden of the Archaeological Museum which makes the experience all the more memorable – for the participants and for the audience.

Varna Summer is the oldest jazz festival created, from the very outset, as an international event. Of course there have been other such events in the country through the years. But the only one to have survived is the jazz festival in Rousse, which started out in 1975 as a national event, though its very first editions saw the participation of artists from abroad.

The first concert at the 29^th edition of the jazz forum in Varna is by Half Easytrio, and the programme is from the debut project by Martin Hafizi. The album featuring this programme was released about a year ago, the music is performed by Martin Hafizi and his trio from the Netherlands where he lives and works. In this country Martin will present his music together with Antoni Donchev – piano, and Mihail Ivanov – double bass.

The concert by Miroslav Ivanov Quartet is also on 18 August, and on the following night audiences will be able to watch Tamara Lukasheva (Germany) perform.

According to the programme, she was supposed to perform with Vadim Neselovskyi, USA, but as Radio Bulgaria found out from artistic director Anatoly Vapirov, he will not be attending the festival, with fellow musician from Bulgaria Antoni Donchev standing in. Lyubomir Denev will present his “Dialogue with Milcho”, dedicated to Bulgarian jazz pianist Milcho Leviev. 

On the last night of the festival audiences will be looking forward to Rosen Zahariev’s project Roko & his brothers,as well as the Konstantin Kostov- Agnieszka Hekiert quartet. Konstantin is Bulgarian, he earned his education in this country and in Germany where he has been living for years. His project with the singer from Poland is among the most colourful of all programmes he has presented in recent years.

“In times like these organizing a festival is no easy thing and there will always be changes, but I hope the audience will appreciate these magnificent musicians,” Mr. Vapirov says.