Festival Women in Jazz Halle

A festival that filled a gap

When Ulf Herden and Janis Kapetsis founded the Festival Women in Jazz in Halle in 2006, the question was not academic: Why do so few women play on the big jazz stages? The festival was intended to "offer the international scene of female artists in jazz a unique platform in the cultural city of Halle." The opening concert on February 2, 2006, with Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara set the tone — international, sophisticated, without pretense. 20 years later, Women in Jazz has become one of Germany's most prominent jazz festivals.

What makes the festival special

The programming combines world-famous names with discoveries. Hiromi Uehara, Esperanza Spalding, Tigran Hamasyan, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dee Dee Bridgewater — almost all the important voices of the contemporary jazz scene have performed in Halle. Every year, the Next Generation Women in Jazz competition runs parallel, inviting young female musicians from all over Europe. The City of Halle Jazz Award is presented as part of the festival.

Venues across the city

Women in Jazz uses Halle as a whole: Opening and closing concerts take place at the Opera House, major solo concerts at the Georg-Friedrich-Händel-Halle, chamber music programs in the Pauluskirche and the Georgenkirche, and the SWH-Saalejazz opens on the Peißnitzinsel as a free open-air concert. The festival moves through the entire city — and attracts audiences from Berlin, Leipzig, and Magdeburg.

Halle in the state of Saxony-Anhalt

Halle (Saale) is the largest city in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and has been a center of music for centuries — Georg Friedrich Händel was born here, and the university bears his name. Women in Jazz fits into this tradition, adding a contemporary, international, and feminist dimension. The patron is State Minister Rainer Robra; the festival is supported by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and the City of Halle.