Photo: Ēriks Radželis
The world’s leading jazz showcase festival and trade fair jazzahead!, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year in Bremen, Germany, announced on the afternoon of April 25 that the Baltic region will be its focus partner for 2027. For Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, this means significant visibility within the European jazz scene, new opportunities for artists on international stages, and a stronger overall presence for the region’s music sector.
The event concluded with a ceremonial handover of the focus from this year’s partner country Sweden to the Baltics, symbolically passing the torch across the Baltic Sea. The focus was announced during a special event at the Messe Bremen, where speakers included Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Sweden Anneli Strömqvist, Director of jazzahead! Sybille Kornitschky, Cultural Attaché of the Estonian Embassy in Berlin Merit Kopli, Ambassador of Latvia to Germany Alda Vanaga, and Ambassador of Lithuania to Germany Giedrius Puodžiūnas. The Baltic focus for 2027 will be coordinated by Music Estonia and Jazz Estonia (Estonia), the Latvian Music Information Centre (Latvia), and the Lithuanian Jazz Union (Lithuania), with support from the Baltic Culture Fund and other partners.
Since 2006, jazzahead! has taken place in Bremen, combining a trade fair, conference, and showcase festival. Each year, it brings together over 3,000 music professionals from nearly 70 countries, featuring around 40 showcase concerts and a city-wide programme. Although the event is held annually in Germany, a partner country or region is selected each year based on the strength, diversity, and international potential of its jazz scene. The selection of the Baltic countries confirms that the region’s jazz has reached a new level of visibility and impact.
According to Ave Sophia Demelemester, Director of Music Estonia, this focus is a major achievement both for the region and for Estonia individually: “In Estonian music export, we have focused on strengthening our region by collaborating with nearby markets in the Baltics and the Nordics. In the long term, this plays an important role in the development of the music industry across the Baltic Sea region—it is an extended home market. We need to highlight our opportunities more broadly so that export and import develop in balance. Our jazz sector is ready for this.” Demelemester adds that this focus is the result of years of work: “Music Estonia joined forces for participation at the trade fair exactly ten years ago, and for the third consecutive year we have organised a Baltic joint stand, which now paves the way for the regional focus.”
Jazz Estonia acts as the key content and programme partner for the Baltic focus, working to develop the Estonian jazz sector both domestically and internationally, and having been present at jazzahead! since its beginning. Executive Director Elo-Liis Parmas adds: “I am very pleased that cooperation between the Baltic countries in the jazz field has reached the level of a jazzahead! partner region focus. As an internationally important platform, it brings together musicians, organisers, and sector organisations, and fosters new collaborations. For Estonia, this reflects our role well—we may be a small market, but we are a dedicated, professional, and internationally active partner.” Parmas also emphasises the value of the focus as an opportunity to advance cultural diplomacy through music.
The Latvian partner for the focus is the Latvian Music Information Centre. Its jazz expert and Deputy Director Aleksandra Line notes: “Becoming the main focus region of jazzahead! in 2027 is not only a great honour, but also an opportunity to present the intangible cultural heritage of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, strengthen existing and create new collaborations, and together shape the future of the jazz industry.” She also highlights that the Baltic region hosted American jazz ensembles already a century ago, which inspired further engagement with the genre.
Dorotėja Būdaitė, Chair of the Lithuanian Jazz Union, highlights the issue of visibility in the music industry: “Today, the real challenge is not creating music, but being noticed, and to achieve real impact, partnerships are essential. And that’s exactly why the Baltic countries standing together matters. Together, you actually become visible.” Dmitrij Golovanov, President of the Lithuanian Jazz Union, adds: “I am grateful to jazzahead! for opening borders and mindsets, giving the opportunity to discover the jazz of the three Baltic countries and to present music that deserves far greater attention and recognition than it currently receives.”
The Baltic focus provides Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with the opportunity to be at the centre of the jazzahead! programme as a partner region, including showcase acts in the main programme and opening concert, expanded participation opportunities for music industry professionals, the organisation of networking events, the development of joint promotional materials, and a larger exhibition area that also highlights each country individually.
At this year’s jazzahead!, Estonia celebrated the success of jazz pianist Britta Virves, who received the Swedish Jazz Album of the Year award, as well as Maria Faust’s nomination at the German Jazz Prize (Deutscher Jazzpreis). During the festival, Faust also organised musical actions with artist Marcela Lucatelli, drawing attention to the position and rights of women and immigrants in society. In addition to Virves, Kristjan Randalu performed with the Petros Klampanis Trio, and Tuulikki Bartosik performed in the Svante Söderqvist: The Rocket ensemble. Birgit Krullo from Jazzkaar was part of this year’s jazzahead! programme jury, and the festival will also be involved in the focus region activities next year.
The Estonian delegation of 30 members was coordinated by Music Estonia in cooperation with the Estonian Jazz Union. Support was provided by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Estonian Embassy in Berlin, Punch Club, and C&C Estonia.