Last year’s inaugural European Jazz Festival in Korea showcased diverse jazz musicians and unique jazz styles from eight European nations.

This year, 13 acts from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Italy, Germany and Norway will once again bring a fresh array of European jazz to Seoul audiences.

European Jazz Festival 2014 will take place over three days from Sept. 19-21 at the BBCH Hall at Kwanglim Arts Center in Seoul. Unlike most other music festivals, EJF will be held indoors to bring out the best acoustics.

The festival will feature diverse acts including veteran European jazz artists already familiar to Seoul audiences, as well as promising European jazz acts acclaimed in their home countries. 

The first day will open with a solo performance by renowned England-based jazz pianist John Taylor. A duet of Stefano Battaglia and Ulrich Drechsler will join Taylor before the three join up with the Swiss Thierry Lang Trio for a joint performance, adding one act at a time under the theme of “Western Europe 1, 2, 3.”

The second day is divided into afternoon and evening concerts. Baptiste Trotignon, Remi Panossian, the Thierry Maillard Trio and others will play French jazz for the show “Afternoon of France.” The evening concert, “Scandinavian Travels,” will introduce diverse acts from Northern Europe including the acclaimed Danish jazz pianist Niels Lan Doky together with bassist Ira Coleman, among others.

On the last day of the festival, three different piano trios will stage side-by-side a series of performances under the theme of “All That Piano Trio.” Thierry Lang Trio from Switzerland, the Norway-based group In The Country and Bobo Stenson, dubbed the Swedish Keith Jarrett in Northern Europe, will take the stage together in the afternoon.

The festival will come to a finale with a performance spotlighting European jazz artists who are introducing themselves to Korean audiences for the first time. Titled “Debut,” the final concert will showcase Taylor, Anders Jormin and Musica Nuda ― an up-and-coming bassist-vocalist duet from Italy. Guitarist Gilad Hekselman, Israel-based but active largely in Europe, will introduce jazz from Israel.

Tickets to European Jazz Festival 2014 can be purchased through Interpark, YES24 and Auction Tickets. Prices range from 40,000-80,000 won. For more information, call Plus Hitch at 02) 941-1150.

By Sohn Ji-young (jiyoung.sohn@heraldcorp.com)