From August 19 to 22, 2026, Lūznava Manor will host the eighth Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs” (Shedd Jazz). The festival's concert program will feature musical ensembles from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, while the “Škiuņa džezs” masterclasses will allow both aspiring and established jazz enthusiasts to hone their skills. Every year at the end of summer, the festival transforms Latgale into a true celebration of jazz with a vibrant program of masterclasses, jam sessions, and concerts.

The “Škiuņa džezs” masterclasses offer a wonderful opportunity for students from Baltic music schools and universities, emerging musicians, and other jazz enthusiasts to enhance their instrumental and vocal skills, as well as to develop their improvisation and ensemble playing under the guidance of an international team of professionals. Alongside intensive lessons, the instructors and masterclass students perform together during public evening jam sessions. This year, the masterclasses will be led by Rūta Dūduma-Ķirse (Latvia) for vocals, improvisation, and ensemble; Jūlija Zakirova (Latvia) for vocals, improvisation, and ensemble; Siim Aimla (Estonia) for wind instruments, improvisation, and ensemble; Dmitrij Golovanov (Lithuania) for keyboards, improvisation, and ensemble; Aleksandras Dunis (Lithuania) for guitar, improvisation, and ensemble; Pēteris Liepiņš (Latvia) for bass, improvisation, and ensemble; and Artis Orubs (Latvia) for percussion, improvisation, and ensemble.

The VIII Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs” will open on the evening of August 19 at 19:00 with a concert by the ensemble "Šaļts" (from the Latgale Music and Art Secondary School), the laureates of the III International Ethno-Jazz Music Ensemble Competition “Guoyu pa JAZZ.” This will be followed at 20:00 by the Lauris Amantovs Jazz Quartet and singer Rūta Dūduma-Ķirse (Latvia) performing their new album program “Katram sava tautasdziesma 2.” On August 20 at 20:00, the ensemble “No Name Jazz Fellas” (Lithuania) will fill the Manor’s Culture Shed with sound, while on August 21 at 19:00, Jūlija Zakirova (Latvia) will perform her concert program “Golden Hour,” followed by the Aleksandras Dunis Quintet (Lithuania) at 20:00. The final day of the festival, August 22, will begin at 14:00 with the traditional student masterclass ensemble concert featuring all participants. The evening program on the closing day will start at 18:00 with the Šiauliai Big Band (Lithuania), continue at 19:30 with the “Siim Aimla Band” (Estonia), and conclude with a special concert program by the Rēzekne Big Band and guests under the leadership of artistic director Lauris Amantovs.