Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony at jazzahead! will take place on Thursday 11 April at 13:00 in Hall 7. The Netherlands and the theme ‘Jazz from Africa’ will take centre stage during the show. During the opening ceremony, you can enjoy performances by South African guitarist Vuma Levin and his sextet from Amsterdam. ‘Instant composer’ Han Bennink (photo) will also take the stage together with guitarist Reinier Baas and saxophonist Ben van Gelder. Furthermore, you can expect to hear a first taste of what is to come during the gala concert during the performance by mambo trumpeter Maite Hontelé and Cuban pianist Ramón Valle. Besides this, musicians and composers Kika Sprangers and Tijn Wybenga will present their views of jazz from the Netherlands. During the ceremony, the award for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the German Jazz Prize 2024 will be presented.

Photo by Govert Driessen