The autumn programme of the 25th JazzFestBrno will open with Snarky Puppy, five-time Grammy winners and one of the most influential instrumental bands of our time. Between now and the end of the year, the festival will offer eleven evenings of music, taking place both at familiar venues such as Sono and Cabaret des Péchés and in more unusual settings – the underground spaces of Brno’s water reservoirs, Villa Tugendhat, Kyjov and Letovice.
On 15 October at Cabaret des Péchés, American saxophonist Isaiah Collier will pay tribute to jazz legend John Coltrane, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday on 23 September. The concert will be followed by a jam session with the Ondřej Štveráček Quartet and local musicians. Anyone who brings an instrument will also get in free. Another celebration, this time marking the festival’s 25th edition, will take place on 26 November at Husa na provázku Theatre, featuring Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, Polish quintet Blu/Bry and three leading Czech musicians – Jiří Stivín, Martin Zbrožek and Jiří Slavík. On Wednesday, 25 November, Armenian pianist and keyboard player Tigran Hamasyan will return to Sono with his new album Manifeste, influenced by experimental metal, prog rock, hard-edged electronica and Armenian folk music. London-based producer, pianist and composer Alfa Mist, one of the most distinctive figures on today’s British nu-jazz scene, will perform at the same venue on 29 November. Snarky Puppy will open the autumn programme at Sono on 13 September 2026.
“A soundscape that transports listeners beyond reality” is how reviews have described concerts by cult band Snarky Puppy, who will open the autumn leg of JazzFestBrno on 13 September. “When Michael League founded the band in 2003, he had no idea that what began as a student project would gradually become a five-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential instrumental bands of our time. From the beginning, the group resisted being pigeonholed. League himself describes their sound as a kind of street mutt, naturally blending the sophistication of jazz with the energy of funk, rock and soul,” says festival artistic director Vilém Spilka. On 15 October, in the stylish surroundings of Cabaret des Péchés, American saxophonist, composer, educator and activist Isaiah Collier will present Collier Plays Coltrane, paying tribute to John Coltrane in the centenary year of the great saxophonist’s birth. “Collier’s saxophone playing has the same urgency, rawness and deep inner spirituality that Coltrane himself once had, but with the drive and perspective of a 28-year-old responding to the world around him today,” Spilka says. The jam session that follows will be opened by the Ondřej Štveráček Quartet, and anyone who brings an instrument will get free standing admission.
The evening of 26 November at Husa na provázku Theatre will celebrate JazzFestBrno’s 25th anniversary with three concerts. Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez combines traditional Cuban genres such as son and mambo with modern jazz, the avant-garde and classical music. “A visionary who refuses to be pigeonholed simply as a ‘Latin jazz’ pianist, he is now a sought-after concert artist around the world. He is known for his electrifying live performances, during which he can turn the piano into an entire rhythm section. He is a force of nature – his playing is percussive and explosive, yet technically absolutely precise,” says Spilka. Also appearing will be Polish jazz group Blu/Bry, a striking example of the progressive spirit of today’s European jazz scene. Their Grand Prix wins at prestigious European festivals and at the Central European Jazz Showcase are no coincidence. Master flautist and saxophonist Jiří Stivín, virtuoso violinist Martin Zbrožek and leading double bassist Jiří Slavík come together for the festival’s 25th anniversary, promising an exceptional concert experience.
Armenian musician Tigran Hamasyan is best known as an outstanding pianist who crosses genre boundaries. In Brno on 25 November, however, he will present Manifeste at Sono, an album influenced by experimental metal, prog rock, hard-edged electronica and Armenian folk music. “This impressive project took two years to make in studios around the world. Despite the ferocity of its sound, Hamasyan remains true to his roots, as shown by his use of traditional Armenian instruments and his collaboration with the Yerevan State Chamber Choir. Bringing the studio recording to the stage will undoubtedly be a remarkable experience,” says Spilka. London-based producer, pianist and composer Alfa Mist, who will get Sono moving on 29 November, is one of the most distinctive figures on today’s British nu-jazz scene. “Alfa Mist is coming to Brno to show that jazz is not a genre preserved in aspic for nostalgic listeners, but a wild, constantly evolving language of today’s world. Fans of classic modern jazz will appreciate the exceptional musicianship, sophisticated handling of tension and release, and the authentic feel of a club jam session. Younger audiences, meanwhile, will be drawn in by the hypnotic rhythmic foundation and contemporary urban aesthetic,” Spilka concludes.
After the Snarky Puppy concert, on 5 October the underground spaces of Brno’s water reservoirs will be filled with the pure voice and cello of singer-songwriter Dorota Barová, accompanied by a distinctive four-piece ensemble. On Monday, 19 October, Villa Tugendhat will host the world premiere of a new intimate project by Dan Bárta and Robert Balzar, bringing together the voices of these two musicians in a form of counterpoint not heard before. The following day, visitors to Cabaret des Péchés can look forward to another special musical evening. Singer Sachal Vasandani, whose music combines jazz and neo-soul, will perform there with his quintet. In the first half of the evening, singer Marta Kloučková and guitarist David Dorůžka will launch their joint album How Little We Dream. On 8 November, the same venue will welcome Grammy-winning American drummer and producer Louis Cole, joined by saxophonist and composer David Binney and bassist Pera Krstajic. JazzFestBrno will also be heading beyond Brno. On 19 September, Polish band Helicopets, founded by guitarist and composer Adam Baran, will perform in Kyjov. On 21 October, Letovice will welcome New York saxophonist Tomoki Sanders, son of Pharoah Sanders and one of the most distinctive young musicians on the city’s contemporary jazz scene.
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