JazzAscona is already looking ahead to its 40th edition: a quality music festival
©JazzAscona – Photo credit Gioele Pozzi
Favored by the weather, the 39th edition of JazzAscona ended on Saturday 1 July 2023 in Ascona with a successful and well-attended closing night on the lakefront that included performances by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the blues woman Vanessa Collier and singer and pianist Davina with her Vagabonds. Satisfaction is expressed by the organizers, with president Guido Casparis leading the way. The new formula with free admission to all concerts, introduced last year, has attracted a large and diverse audience. According to estimates, over the course of the 10 festival days at least 50,000 spectators attended the nearly 300 concerts on the bill. This is a higher attendance than in 2022, and with the very significant novelty of a conspicuous rejuvenation of the audience.
Guido Casparis, president of the JazzAscona festival, is pleased about this. «What’s also gratifying,» he adds, «is the interest and enthusiasm with which the innovations that we proposed in the sign of a musical opening have been received by the audience,» he adds. In other words, the new formula has proven to be right. «Ascona today has become a celebration. A free and welcoming people’s celebration that aims to offer a quality music that moves between the tradition of jazz and more contemporary musical forms, thus reflecting what is currently happening in the city of New Orleans.»
«Among the many positive elements of this edition of the Festival, I’d like to highlight the visit of the American Ambassador and the increasingly close and solid institutional and cultural relations with the city of New Orleans. New initiatives such as the jazz concerts at lunchtime and the Creole dinners at the New Orleans Terrace were a success, with seats often sold out. This confirms the public’s strong interest in the gastronomic aspects of New Orleans, and the desire to taste exotic dishes.»
The festival presented a variety of quality music, including genres such as flamenco, salsa and contemporary jazz. Ascona, as the two music programmers of the festival Matt Zschokke and Nolan Quinn point out, has confirmed itself as a vital meeting and exchange place for musicians. Apart from featuring icons such as Stefano Di Battista, John Boutté, China Moses or Christoph Grab, winner of the Swiss Jazz Award 2023, the satisfaction lies in having offered many young artists an opportunity to express themselves and many local musicians a stage where they could exchange musical ideas with colleagues from all over the world. As for the audience experience, each and everyone will take home something beautiful according to their own taste. Be it the violin of Vincent Milloud (of Echoes of Swing), the authenticity of the funk of the drummer and singer of The Next Movement, or the stirring Hammond organ of Alberto Marsico, who performed as a guest of Miss Bee.
Looking to the future, JazzAscona will continue to grow and innovate, offering high-quality musical experiences and, where possible, appealing to an even wider audience. The commitment to music, art and culture will continue to be at the heart of the festival, a meeting point for jazz lovers and for anyone who wants to enjoy a unique and inspiring musical atmosphere.
The organizers express their gratitude to the artists, the public, the sponsors and all the friends and collaborators of JazzAscona and look forward to the 40th edition, which will take place from June 20 to 29, 2024.