36th Akbank Jazz Festival
JAmZZ Masterclass Program
As part of the 36th Akbank Jazz Festival, and organized in collaboration with Bahçeşehir University Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, the JAmZZ Masterclass Program aims to platform emerging talents and support young musicians. The program will take place on May 16-17 at Bahçeşehir University Pera Stage. This year the program instructors include Baki Duyarlar, Barış Doğukan Yazıcı, Ediz Hafızoğlu, Erdal Akyol, Sibel Köse, Şevket Akıncı ve Yeşim Pekiner, as well as Phil Grenadier (Assistant Professor of Brass and Ensemble) and Dave Limina (Chair of Piano) from Berklee College of Music.
The Improvised Jazz Masterclass is designed as an ensemble class and is open to all instrument groups, except for vocals. Participants of the JAmZZ Masterclass will explore improvisation and collaboration across classical and contemporary jazz styles while developing their listening, communication and collaborative skills. Alongside master jazz musicians, the curriculum draws on a repertoire from the Great American Songbook in bebop, swing, ballad and bossa nova jazz styles and focuses on style analysis, phrasing, variation and improvisation.
Based on the instructors’ performance evaluations, one participant will be invited to perform at the 37th Akbank Jazz Festival and two participants will be granted the opportunity to attend the Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics. Tuition, accommodation and travel expenses of these two participants will be covered by the Akbank Jazz Festival.
Conditions of Participation
- Applicants must be citizens of Türkiye and currently studying within Türkiye. (Turkish citizens studying abroad are not eligible for participation.)
- The program will take place on May 16-17, 2026.
- Applicants must be between 18 and 22 years old (born between May 2008 and January 2004).
- Participants must have prior experience in improvisation within classical and contemporary jazz styles.
- Applicants should be able to improvise within the framework of the following repertoire: (Agua de Beber, Antônio Carlos Jobim / Autumn Leaves, Joseph Kosma/ Besame Mucho, Consuelo Velázquez / Blue Bossa, Kenny Dorham / Blue Monk, Thelonious Monk/ Blues for Alice, Charlie Parker / Confirmation, Charlie Parker / Equinox, John Coltrane/ Whisper Not, Benny Golson / Stella by Starlight, Victor Young)
- Application opens: April 15, 2026
- Application deadline: May 15, 2026
- Applications are accepted on an individual basis only.
- Applicants who meet the criteria will be eligible to participate upon payment of the program fee.
- After completing the application, participants are kindly requested to send a confirmation note along with their short CVs to akbanksanat@akbank.com.
Other Dates
BAU Pera Stage
16 May 2026|10:00
BAU Pera Stage
17 May 2026|10:00