International Jazz Day 2022, a Call for Global Peace and Unity

Flagship All Star Jazz Day Concert to be hosted at UN in New York on 30 April

Paris, 20 April 2022 –– UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock today announced the programme for the 2022 celebration of International Jazz Day, 30 April, with events taking place in more than 180 countries.

The flagship Jazz Day event, a spectacular All-Star Global Concert, will be staged in the UN General Assembly Hall, in New York, emphasizing the importance of jazz as a means of achieving unity and peace through dialogue and diplomacy.It will feature performances by some of the world’s most accomplished jazz artists. The full cast is available at this link.

The concert will be webcast worldwide (30 April, 11 pm CET) on the UNESCO website, YouTube, Facebookjazzday.com, UN Web TV and US State Department outlets. 

“Jazz carries a universal message with the power to strengthen dialogue, our understanding of each other, and our mutual respect. As the world is affected by multiple crises and conflicts, this international day highlights how much music and culture can contribute to peace,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

“With conflict and division in many parts of the world, it is my hope that, through the universal language of jazz, our celebration this year can inspire people of all nations to heal, to hope and to work together to foster peace,” said Jazz Institute Chairman Herbie Hancock, who co-chairs International Jazz Day with the Director-General of UNESCO.

Master classes, concerts, educational and other programmes worldwide

Earlier in the evening of 30 April (9 pm CET), UNESCO will celebrate the musical talent of women from across Africa with a second edition of its JazzWomenAfrica concert series. Organized in collaboration with the cultural agency ANYA Music (Morocco), JazzWomenAfrica helps counter the under-representation and insufficient recognition of women in the music industry. A discussion with women artists and music producers on this theme will take place on 29 April (5 pm CET). See dedicated page to access the debate.

A series of free, online education programmes will be presented via unesco.orgjazzday.com and the official International Jazz Day YouTube and Facebook pages. World-renowned jazz artists including multiple Grammy Award winners Arturo O’Farrill and Terri Lyne Carrington, Oran Etkin, Danny Grissett, Dan Tepfer and others will lead master classes and presentations. 

Stakeholders across the UNESCO Creative Cities Network around the globe will organize their own celebrations throughout International Jazz Day. 

Major support for International Jazz Day is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Air transportation and additional support for artists and educators is provided by United Airlines, the airline partner of International Jazz Day.

Established by UNESCO in 2011 at the initiative of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, and recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide every 30 April.

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is UNESCO’s partner in the organization and promotion of International Jazz Day.

Contacts
Alisse Kingsley
+ 1 323 467 8508
[email protected]

Clare O’Hagan
+33(0)145681729
[email protected]

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