Penza, 18 May 2012. PenzaNews. Ceremony of opening of the Second international festival of jazz music Jazz May 2012 took place in Penza on Thursday, May 17.
The governor of the Penza region Vasily Botchkarev and a presenter, a radio journalist and musician Alexey Kolosov greeted the guests and participants of the festival. Then Jazz Cruise band conducted by Alexey Lvov-Belov, saxophonist Sergey Belgisov and instrumental band from Saratov Street Life, conducted by Evgeny Surmenev, Ekaterina Chernousova and Moscow group Komnaty took place on open site in front of the philharmonic hall.
In the evening, Dominic Bukovsky Trio from Poland and Austrian Folkmilch Band performed in the philharmonic hall.
Besides, an exhibition of Moscow jazz photographer Gulnara Khamatova was opened and lecture of jazz critic Kirill Moshkov “Jazz in Russia: 90 years of History” was held on the second festival day.
“I am happy that we managed to do it. Anyway, even if something goes wrong, the holiday is successful, as well as our attempt to draw attention of authorities and citizens to this very democratic art. People are passing by, some of them stop, listening to music, and they understand that jazz is not terrible,” said the director of Penza philharmonic hall Alexey Lvov-Belov.
