Dear performers, guests and organisers of IDeeJazz!

I am glad to welcome and congratulate all the participants in the jazz festival and residents of the festival cities on the occasion of a world-class music event! This initiative is certain to render our cultural life more diverse, exciting and attractive. I am especially glad that it was chosen to hold the festival in two beautiful Estonian cities – Tartu and Narva, where people are sure to appreciate good music. I am certain that the idea to have the festival not only in Tartu, but also in Narva provides an opportunity to insert two important places in Estonia simultaneously to the cultural map of the world.

The festival brings to its stages top international jazz artists and highly acclaimed musicians from Estonia, providing an opportunity to take part in a high quality event that would make every European city proud. I hope that the cities themselves, too, will surprise and inspire you: Narva with its unique milieu and Tartu with its spirit and boundary-transcending warmth. Surely the festival will be visited by guests from further away, both from Estonia and abroad.

I wish the organisers a great success and hope that this initiative leads to a thrilling tradition of bringing together listeners and musicians that receives a warm welcome from the audiences.
Wishing you all an inspiring musical experience,

Indrek Saar
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia

Dear jazz fans!

The city of Narva is thoroughly intertwined with different kinds of music and jazz has it own special place here. I am truly glad that IDeeJazz is coming to our city this year and the people of Narva can enjoy its diverse and professional program introducing different facets of jazz and giving a brief overview of how the musical genre has been interpreted in various places of the world. Since one of the main components in jazz is improvisational skill, I hope that our city and the people living here will provide the musicians with a good source for intriguing musical lines.

I would like to thank the organisers, especially Oleg, and see you in Narva!

Tarmo Tammiste
Mayor of Narva

Dear friends!

The Department of Culture is glad to welcome the jazz festival IDeeJazz 2017 as one of the events in the “Narva – the Autumn Capital of Estonia” program. This is a truly remarkable and substantial occasion. We anticipate a unique opportunity for witnessing performances from world-class jazz talents in different venues around the city. More importantly and intriguingly, the festival concerts that await the audiences in Narva will be particularly content-rich, as the artists will be presenting listeners with many musical ideas that provide inspiration for thought. I am certain that the festival is going to be a superior present to all the jazz fans and that it will bring bright musical colours, positive energy, joy and inspiring emotions to our autumn.

We wish everyone the best of experiences at the forthcoming festival IDeeJazz 2017!

Viktoria Lutus
Head of the Narva City Government’s Department of Culture

Dear friends!

Both in my professional and private life, I have become closely tied with two very different Estonian cities – Tartu and Narva. The latter is my birthplace and the former I’ve been considering my home for the last 12 years already. I am proud that besides my own creative and performing work, I’ve had the honour and opportunity to contribute to the development of cultural life in both cities. In each city, I am organising a year-round series of jazz concerts taking place in the Estonian National Museum and Narva College, and in this 7th year of the festival, I wish to bring Narva together with Tartu to the global map of music culture with the help of a prominent international festival. I have always wanted to do something big and beautiful for the city of my birth and believe that IDeeJazz 2017 @Narva is the first in the line of such initiatives.

See you at IDeeJazz, whether in Tartu or Narva – the choice is yours!

Oleg Pissarenko
Chief organiser of IDeeJazz