Montreal International Jazz Festival

The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( FIJM ) is the largest jazz festival in the world.

It usually takes place at the beginning of the Canadian Festival session early July (or late June to mid-July ). Over 2 million people visit the eleven-day event. During the festival, large parts of downtown (Downtown Montreal) are closed to car traffic, so that may also be held in the open air concerts. Some of the open-air concerts are attended by more than a hundred thousand people. In pubs, clubs, theaters, museums, concert halls and even some department stores then concerts. 450 Of the more than 650 concerts are free and find places to ten open-air place. In addition to jazz and world music, pop and blues musicians perform. The festival annually visit around 2 million visitors, including 250,000 tourists. It is headed by an independent non-profit organization. It is known for its relaxed festival atmosphere.

The festival was founded in 1980 on the initiative of Alain Simard ( who had made about the agency Cosmos Productions jazz and blues concerts in Montreal organized ) founded and André Ménard ( shortly afterwards supplemented by Denyse McCann ), with their common Spectra Scene. In 1978 they announced the festival and also organized concerts for example with Bill Evans, BB King and Charles Mingus, but did not receive funding. Even in 1979 it did not work (there were concerts with Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett ), but only in 1980 with the support of CBC Radio and sale of radio rights to radio Qébec. At that time came, inter alia, on the island of Sainte -Hélène Gary Burton, Chick Corea and Ray Charles, and there were 12,000 visitors. In 1982 it moved into the quarter St. Denis, which soon was too small. Soon after, his reputation with the appearance of stars like Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Stéphane Grappelli, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan was consolidated. 1987, received by a financial crisis for the first time supported by the city of Montreal and in 1989 it was in its current location in Downtown Montreal instead to the " Place des Arts " and the " Complexe Desjardins ." In 1989 the festival over 1 million visitors.

The festival also prizes will be awarded: the " Ella Fitzgerald Award" for vocal artists (from 1999 ), the "Miles Davis Award" for established international jazz musicians (from 1994), the "Oscar Peterson " Award for Canadian jazz musicians (from 1989) the " Antonio Carlos Jobim Award" for world Music.

Festival Programme 2003 (selection)

• 2003 have occurred in the course of the festival more than 500 music groups, and there were about 2,000 music critics from around the world present.

Ray Charles, David Murray, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman, Norah Jones, Theo Jörgensmann Quartet, Joachim Kühn, Gary Burton, Don Byron, Abdullah Ibrahim, Geri Allen, Bobby Hutcherson, Egberto Gismonti, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Arturo Sandoval, Gary Peacock, Hilton Ruiz, among others