Jazz Open lands in Italy
After thirty years of success in Germany, JAZZ OPEN, one of the most traditional music festivals in Europe – born in Stuttgart under the artistic direction of Jurgen Schlensog – presents its first Italian edition: from 13 to 18 July 2026 it will take place in the Emilian city JAZZ OPEN Modena That, among others, it will host concerts by Gregory Porter, Diana Krall, Moby, Parov Stelar, Meute, Jamie Cullum, Joss Stone, Luca Carboni, Jean-Michel Jarre.
Also for the Italian debut the festival – again curated by the founder Jurgen Schlensog – will confirm the its traditional formula Jazz & Beyondunder which a vast range of genres coexists, from classic jazz to the more contaminated one, from pop to soul and rock, up to electronic.
It is an effective “city festival”, spread over three places in the Emilian capital: Piazza Roma, overlooked by the Palazzo Ducale now home to the Military Academy, with the main stage dedicated to the different musical genres proposed by the various headliners; the Baluardo, which will instead host a more strictly jazz programme, with live performances by artists such as Emma Smith, Francesca Tandoi, Andrea Sabatino, Mammal Hands, Aaron Parks and Herve Samb & Band; and the Estense Ducal Garden, place of Open Stages dedicated to the artists most positioned in terms of innovation, research and contamination.
Piazza Roma: the program
JAZZ OPEN will open in Modena Gregory Porter And Diana Krallin a double live show on July 13th in Piazza Roma. The first is the most soulful voice of contemporary jazz, “the singer with the balaclava”, one of the leading names of the legendary Blue Note, an adept of Nat King Cole with 8 nominations and 2 victories at the Grammy Awards. The second – who in turn boasts 2 Grammys, 10 Junos, 9 gold records, 3 platinum and 7 multi-platinum – is an icon of world jazz-pop with an almost 30-year career, who in the concert will also perform songs from her latest album “This dream of you”.
The July 14th it will be the turn of another artist of global fame: the American musician, composer, songwriter, DJ, producer and activist Richard Melville Hall, aka Moby, central figure of global electronica with over 20 million albums sold worldwide (and collaborations with David Bowie, Public Enemy, Daft Punk and Beastie Boys).
The event is scheduled for July 15th “party night” of the festival, with a double live performance by the electro swing pioneer Parov Stelar and the techno marching band Meute. Multiple awards DJ, producer but also visual artist with a solid pictorial background, Marcus Fuereder, known by the pseudonym Parov Stelar, is one of the best-known Austrian artists internationally: in over 20 years of career he has performed at Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza and collaborated with artists such as Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey and Bryan Ferry.
THE MEUTE are one Techno Marching Band German band made up of eleven musicians, including percussion and wind instruments who, fusing hypnotic and pulsating techno with the expressive force of band music, combine clubbing and live energy.
The formula of co-bill also animates the evening of July 16th: in fact it will be the turn of the double concert of Jamie Cullum And Joss Stone. Can songwriter and multi-instrumentalist dedicated to his own blend of jazz, pop and rock, Cullum achieved international success with the best-selling album “Twentysomething”; with two decades of career behind her, the British singer and actress Joss Stone boasts over 15 million albums sold worldwide, with a Grammy and two Brit Awards under her belt.
After 7 years of absence from Modena, accompanied by an eight-piece band, Luca Carboni he will be the protagonist of the evening of July 17th for a new stage of his tour RIO ARI OR LIVE.
Finally, the last day of the festival – July 18th – will be dedicated to the performance of Jean-Michel Jarre: the French composer, performer and producer – pioneer of electronic music – has a catalog of 22 studio albums which have exceeded 85 million copies sold worldwide.
Il Baluardo: the programme
Also between 13 and 18 July, JAZZ OPEN Modena will inhabit the Baluardo (a cultural space born inside the last remnant of the ancient city fortification) with a program dedicated to the various nuances of jazz expression.
The program opens on July 13th with a live performance by the British Emma Smith, winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2024 and collaborator of Michael Bublè and Quincy Jones Orchestra; exponent of the cult formation The Puppini Sisters and Ronnie’s Scott All Stars, she is considered one of the most significant voices of contemporary jazz.
On July 14th it will be the pianist’s turn Francesca Tandoiwhile July 15th will be the turn of the talented jazz trumpet Andrea Sabatinoan Apulian musician already alongside protagonists of the international scene such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sergio Cammariere, Mario Biondi, Fabrizio Bosso, Paolo Fresu, Javier Girotto and Roberto Gatto.
From the new British scene come the Mammal Handsscheduled for July 16, followed by the American on July 17 Aaron Parksamong the most influential and respected pianists of his generation, with several albums released for Blue Note Records and ECM, balancing elements of modern jazz, indie rock and oriental modes.
The programming at the Baluardo ends in the name of contamination on July 18th with the concert of the visionary Senegalese guitarist Herve Samb, accompanied by his band. Samb is a true pioneer of jazz sabara particular musical genre that puts the freedom of jazz in dialogue with the sabarthat is, a dance but also a set of ancestral percussions used in Wolof ceremonies.
JAZZ OPEN Modena has as main sponsor the Enzo Ferrari Museum, System Ceramics (Coesia Group), Mastercard, SIXT and Allianz Bank Financial Advisors; it is created with the support of STIHL, Dürr, BF capital and LAPP and with the support of the Municipality of Modena, the Emilia-Romagna Region, APT Servizi Emilia-Romagna and the Modena Chamber of Commerce. Radio Montecarlo is media partner of the event.
Pre-sales for the concerts in Piazza Roma by Gregory Porter, Diana Krall, Moby, Jamie Cullum, Joss Stone and Jean-Michel Jarre are active on https://tickets.jazzopen-modena.com
Pre-sales for the concerts of Parov Stelar, Meute and Luca Carboni will be active from February 19th.
Official links:
https://www.jazzopen-modena.com
https://www.facebook.com/jazzopen.modena
https://www.instagram.com/jazzopen_modena
