The Netherlands will become jazzahead! partner country in 2024. This was announced on 29 April in Bremen by Claudia Roth, Germany’s Minister of State for Culture and Media. She did so before a full house at Kulturzentrum Schlachthof, in the presence of Dewi van der Weerd, Dutch ambassador for international cultural cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jazzahead! is the largest trade fair for the international jazz industry and the place for high-quality, contemporary jazz from Europe and overseas. Sybille Kornitschky, who runs jazzahead! for Messe Bremen, about the Dutch presence in 2024: “They totally deserve this. It’s no accident that our juries have been consistently choosing several Dutch acts each year for many years now.” As a partner country, the Netherlands will offer no less than 8 showcases, and will occupy the central area in the fair’s main hall in Bremen.

This year’s jazzahead! saw showcase performances by four quite diverse, Netherlands-based groups. Wolfert Brederode/Matangi Quartet/Joost Lijbaart and AVA Trio both stunned the professional audience, with commissioned project Tree House by Felix Schlarmann (photo) as the fair’s triumphant closing act. Sun-Mi Hong Quintet played at beautiful Sendesaal, during the jazzahead! Clubnight.

In the closing jazzahead! press statement, Bas Pauw (Performing Arts Fund NL) and Mark van Schaick (inJazz/Buma Cultuur) comment as follows: “The Netherlands as main partner country during jazzahead! 2024 offers an excellent opportunity to showcase the quality and diversity of the Dutch jazz scene. The steady presence of Dutch bands in the jazzahead! showcase program has demonstrated how exciting and versatile contemporary Dutch jazz is. Being partner country in Jazzahead! 2024 offers the opportunity to show even more what is happening in jazz in the Netherlands. Buma Cultuur and the Performing Arts Fund NL are looking forward to working together with new artistic advisor Götz Bühler and his colleagues at jazzahead!, in making this a successful presentation, highlighting the importance of jazz today and the power of music crossing borders.”

Mark your agenda: jazzahead! 2024 will take place from 11 to 14 April.