top of page

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL CHINA 2021

Find out all about the first edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival China took place in Hangzhou, in the province of Zhejiang, from 5 to 8 October 2021.

artists

VENUE

Sofitel Hangzhou Westlake

Located in Hangzhou’s heritage Old Town district, just 50 meters to the edge of Westlake, and within 20 minutes’ walk to key tourist sites Leifeng Pagoda, Wushan Pagoda and famed Heifeng Street old town markets.  The lobby’s central brass mural highlights the hotels location in the center of a multi dynasty city, the 3000-year history of Hangzhou represented in the quiet elegance of the hotel’s restaurants and bar, service and staff. Convenient access to Hangzhou East train station and 40 minutes from Xiaoshan International Airport, the hotel is a mere 10 minutes from the city’s central train station, and just 2 blocks to Metro Line 1.

VENUE 2021
dragon background 1.png
Hangzhou jazz lake note MJFC 2021 poster

Screenprint. Printed on half-matte coated paper 310gr

POSTER SIZE 27cm x 40cm

MJFC 2021 POSTER

HANGZHOU JAZZ LAKE NOTE

ARTIST: SOUK LE SOLEIL  (FRENCH)      

HONG KONG     2020

It is the Trumpet West Lake Note Pavilion.

This note woke up the Erhu dragon who gives the tea dance to the three eternal goldfish (Love, Respect, Faith)

Technique: Acrylic on wooden board

It is the mix and influenced by traditional Chinese ink painting, Spanish surrealism, Italian renaissance Sfumato, with French street art touch.

The technique of Sfumato, was an ancient technique from renaissance Italian painting and invented by Da Vinci.

POSTER 2021
MJFC concert program
PROGRAM 2021

MJFC 2021 ARTISTS

Alan Kwan

Jazz guitarist, composer, and educator Alan Kwan studied with Fred Hamilton, Richard McClure, and Noel Johnston at the University of North Texas, where he received a School of Music scholarship, a Kris Kolflat scholarship, and an academic fellowship.

In 2015, he completed a master's degree in Jazz Performance Music at Queens College and joined the New York Jazz Circle.

Etienne Jeanne

French guitarist Etienne Jeanne was the first musician to introduce gypsy jazz to China.

He learned to play the guitar at the age of 10 as an autodidact. He became passionate about rock and folk music, and a few years later discovered the music of Django Reinhardt. At the age of 18, Etienne moved to Paris to play in jazz clubs.

His impeccable technique fills every song with passion and swing.

Eugene Pao

Being the most famous jazz musician in Hong Kong, Eugene Pao’s name is synonymous with jazz in Hong Kong.

This reputation could not be more deserved, as over the past twenty plus years Eugene's performances and recordings have been instrumental in advancing jazz in the territory. Over the years, Eugene has worked with Michael Brecker, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Pass, McCoy Tyner and many others.

Hanggai Rock Band

Founded in 2004, Hanggai has performed more than 200 shows in 60 countries on five continents. Hanggai is deeply rooted in Mongolian music and has since merged with the sound of contemporary rock music. Combining traditional instruments such as taobushuur (a two-stringed lute) and morin khuur (the horse-head fiddle) with Western percussion instruments, electric guitar and bass, Hanggai has caused a worldwide sensation.

Their 2010 album, The Man Who Walks Away, was included in the 2010 Top Ten World Music Records list by the British music magazine MOJO, making it the only Asian music album to be selected.

They have been invited to perform at world famous music festivals such as WOMAD, Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock, etc. several times.

Justin Xu

Justin is 11 years old and the youngest international Hawaiian Kamaka ukulele player in China.

He learned ukulele, electric guitar, bass and drums at age 4, started playing his own music at age 8, and released his first album at age 9. His representative works include the Chinese theme song of the popular game "Traveling Frog», the theme song of Alipay animation game "Supernatural Bugs Team", etc.

This year, his lyrics and composition "Hangzhou Promise" have been shortlisted for the headquarters of the 19th Asian Games.

Lawrence Ku

Jazz guitarist and composer Lawrence Ku is one of the best and most respected musicians in China.

His own projects include The Red Groove Project, which has received multiple Golden Melody Award nominations (Best Producer, Best Album and Best Composition in 2014 for "Flow" and Best Producer in 2016 for "Proper Up!"), and the Lawrence Ku Trio, which won Best Instrumental Album in 2015 for "Pictures" at the China Music Media Awards.

Luo Ning

Luo Ning is one of the most famous jazz pianists, composers and musicians in China and the leading exponent of Latin jazz piano in China.

He combines classical music, jazz, Latin jazz and fusion with his exquisite skills and creative talent, blending Chinese elements and national culture with Western jazz to create the new oriental jazz. He is praised by Western musicians as the "Oriental Jazz Piano Poet" and was the first Chinese jazz musician to be covered twice by the leading American music magazine New York Jazz Weekly.

Maximilian Vogler & Sebastian Issler

Young German tenor Maximilian Vogler appears as a soloist all over Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He gave concerts with the Jena Philharmonic, the Southwest-German Philharmonic, the baroque orchestras La Stagione Frankfurt, L'Arco Hannover, La Banda Augsburg, L’Arpa Festante, Origen Ensemble Vocal and Vox Luminis.

He maintains several chamber music formations, with a special focus on Lieder and is a scholarship holder of the LIEDBasel festival and the Lyra Foundation, recipient of sponsorship awards from his hometown of Konstanz, the Musikorganisation Zürichsee, Dienemann Foundation as well as participant in several international singing competitions.

Swiss Pianist, Sebastian Issler regularly performs in prestigious places and at festivals, including the Tonhalle Zurich, the Abbey Library of Saint Gall, various European cities and overseas.

Currently, Sebastian is completing his Artist Diploma «Piano Accompaniment» at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London working with Julius Drake, and he is part of Graham Johnson's Song Guild. This autumn, he has a guest lectureship at the Zurich University of the Arts where he will talk about the choreography of hands in his favorite repertoire. Sebastian holds two Master's Degrees with distinction from Zurich University of the Arts and is amongst others finalist of the International Schubert Competition 2018 as well as multiple prize winner of the Swiss Youth Music Competition.

Pinocchio

Pinocchio is one of the most popular acappella orchestras in China.

They have won the 9th National Acappella Music Competition 2019 and participated in the most famous Chinese singing show Voice of China 2020.

Ricardo Vogt and Veronica Nunes

Ricardo Vogt is a talented Jazz guitarist, composer and singer. A three-time Grammy Award winner, Ricardo has collaborated with Esperanze Spalding.

The daughter of a classical pianist, Veronica Nunes grew up surrounded by traditional samba and classical music, making her debut at the age of 15. Her music has attracted the attention of Paul Simon and Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil.

This year Ricardo and Veronica celebrate 10 years of performing together.

Shawn Dong

Shawn Dong is a famous Chinese jazz singer who has created a new style of Chinese female jazz.

She uses blues and world music elements to reinterpret the traditional opera from Wu Nong area with her unique singing voice. The new melody design integrates Chinese and Western rhythms and breaks with the traditional melody concept of opera, but retains the original song. The euphemistic essence of Chinese oriental melody in her singing has given the possibility of new Chinese folk rhyme music.

In 2019, the song "Golden Silk Bird", which combines traditional Chinese Shanghai opera with American jazz, won the fifth national creative music talent project.

Teriver Cheung

According to JazzTimes, "Teriver Cheung demonstrates an impressive command of his instrument and a mature compositional approach."

The jazz guitarist and composer has frequently collaborated with musicians such as Latin Grammy Award winner Eddie Gómez, Billy Drummond, Jean-Michel Pilc, George Garzone and Antonio Hart.

Wan Xiaoli

Wan Xiaoli is one of the representatives of modern Chinese folk song, rich in humanity. His songs have the characteristics of new folk songs, the melody and artistic conception are simple and very beautiful.

In the past 24 years since his debut, he has released a total of five albums, and each album is constantly innovative, bringing us surprises every time.

Listen to him sing at the West Lake in Hangzhou in the golden October: Everything will be fine.

ARTISTS 2021
bottom of page