The summer at Lūznava Manor will be ending with the Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs 2023” for the fifth time. This year, the festival is planned from August 22 to August 26. Together with the usual rich jazz concert programme, which will include musicians from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Ukraine, an important part of the “Škiuņa džezs” festival, as always, will be masterclasses where prospective as well as experienced jazz enthusiasts will be able to enrich their experience. Applications for the masterclasses are accepted until 25th June. 

The masterclasses at the “Škiuņa džezs” festival are a great opportunity for music school and higher education institution students, prospective musicians and other jazz enthusiasts in the Baltic States to improve their musical instrument and vocal skills, as well as to develop the ability to improvise and play together in an ensemble under the guidance of an international team of professionals. Besides intensive classes, teachers and masterclass students also play together in public jam evenings. This year, masterclasses will be conducted by Indriķis Veitners (blowing instruments, ensemble, improvisation / Latvia), Rūta Dūduma-Ķirse (vocals, ensemble, improvisation / Latvia), Pranas Kentra (guitar, rhythm, ensemble, improvisation / Lithuania), Dima Golovanovas (keyboard, ensemble, improvisation / Lithuania), Veronika Chi Chi (vocals, ensemble, improvisation / Lithuania), Yurii Natsvlishvili (bass, ensemble, improvisation / Ukraine) un Aivar Vassiljev (percussion instruments, ensemble, improvisation / Estonia).

This time, the “Škiuņa džezs” festival will begin on 23 August and will be concluded on 26 August with the traditional concert programme specially prepared for the festival by the Rēzekne big band and soloists – “Škiuņa džezs” teachers.

To apply for the Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs” masterclasses, those who are interested are asked to complete the festival masterclasses application form HERE by 25th June. Applicants can take part in the masterclasses as active participants or observers. The number of participants is limited.

Tickets for the festival’s public concerts will be available for purchase from 25th May, but evening jam sessions by the participants and teachers of the masterclasses will be available for free. The festival is supported by the Rēzekne Municipality.

More information on the participation in the festival’s “Škiuņa džezs” masterclasses: muiza@luznava.lv and +371 29473700 (Latvian, Russian language) or + 371 26084796 (Lithuanian language), or +371 29390701 (English language).

About the Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs”. The idea of a jazz festival at the Lūznava Manor appeared in September 2018 when the Jazz Music Department was created at Jānis Ivanovs’ Rēzekne Music Secondary School and the jazz musician and composer Toms Lipskis became its director. When he started working in Latgale, he had the idea to create a jazz festival in Lūznava, thus also taking upon himself the artistic direction of the prospective festival. At the end of summer 2018, a jazz festival introductory concert was played at Lūznava’s “Kulturys škiunis” as two concert programmes, thus marking the time and venue of the festival. Unfortunately, in autumn Toms passed prematurely, but to honour the work he had started and devoting the festival to his memory, in August 2019 the Lūznava Manor hosted the first Baltic Jazz Festival “Škiuņa džezs” with the motto “Continuation!”. This year will be the fifth time the ideas and fervour of the festival’s beginnings are carried on and maintained by its artistic director – a trombonist, an active and experienced jazz musician Lauris Amantovs – together with the Lūznava Manor’s team. This year, “Škiuņa džezs” will also serve as a continuation of these ideas, a continuation of jazz music in Latgale, a continuation of experienced jazz musicians passing their knowledge to the young.

Public event programme of the “Shed Jazz” (“Škiuņa džezs 2023”) festival.

Program of the festival for participants