Jazz Contest 2026: A Tribute to John Coltrane

A musical tribute to the jazz legend on his 100th birthday

2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Coltrane, a great visionary, composer and saxophone genius, one of the most outstanding improvisers in the history of music. During his short career, he changed his style several times creating an unsurpassed, uncompromising model of musical creation. In addition to his extraordinary technical proficiency, he left behind albums filled with mysticism, virtuosity, expressiveness, as well as jazz ballads full of magical aura and soothing poetry.

On the occasion of this special anniversary of his birth, the master's work will inspire one of the two key events of the Festival 16th Jazz Contest 2026. Saxophone sounds will introduce us to the suffocating atmosphere on October 30, 2026 during the concert “A Tribute to John Coltrane. From the cycle on the hundredth anniversary of the birth”.

Contemporary saxophone masters Piotr Baron, Maciej Sikała, Ondřej Štveráček and Robert Wypek will meet on the stage of the Dream Cinema in Tarnów. Excellent instrumentalists, representing different artistic generations, will present their own interpretations of John Coltrane's work. The interpenetration of mature charisma with young energy, the search for synergy between avant-garde, free look and the classics of the genre, and the dialogue of intergenerational sounds — will create the main artistic trend of this concert. Saxophonists will play solo, in a classical quartet, but also in arrangements for three and four saxophones — creating a thrilling dynamic of the concert for the audience.

In the rhythm section, the artists will be accompanied by excellent musicians: Joachim Mencel on piano, Jakub Cywiński on double bass, Sebastian Frankiewicz on drums.

This extraordinary event will be preceded by a concert of the Combo Jazz Ensemble of Music Schools in Tarnów under the supervision of Michał Kołodziej, Mateusz Żydek and Łukasz Romański.