Events

“Australian world music collaboration at its very best” – Music Trust magazine Experience a transcendent blend of cultures and sounds with Barlines & Beyond, an ensemble that bridges the gap between Western improvisation and Indian classical music. Featuring Indian slide guitarist Pandit Debasish Chakraborty, alongside Sam Evans on tabla, Stephen Magnusson on guitar and Rob...

Melbourne-based masters of contemporary, experimental music, Sunny Kim and Peter Knight, celebrate 15 years of collaboration, as they revisit their groundbreaking first project, Bright Splinters. South Korean-born vocalist, composer and improviser Sunny Kim's artistry is shaped by a deep exploration of culture, identity and connection through sound. With a vast range of influences from Bjork...

Late night, unplanned and unmissable. We’re back this year with another round of MIJF’s iconic Late Night Jams. Each weekend of the festival we shake loose and get down after hours, with spontaneous, all-improvised and unrepeatable festival-only sessions led by MIJF's house bands: Hue Blanes Trio (18, 19 & 27 Oct) and Mina Yu (25...

“An understated gem of European chamber-jazz” – Irish Times Italian jazz guitarist and “six-string poet” (JazzNews) Federico Casagrande started honing his craft at an early age and has since flourished into one of the singular voices in contemporary guitar. With an impressive 18 records under his belt, Casagrande has toured extensively throughout Europe and the rest...

A high energy fusion of West African rhythms and Western jazz melodies. Co-created by Guinean-Australian multi-instrumentalist Amadou Kalissa and Melbourne guitarist Kyle Muir, six-piece ensemble Mandeng Groove take inspiration from the Manding music tradition of West Africa. With a line-up of some of Melbourne’s most exciting improvisers—Flora Carbo, Alex Roper, Harry Birch and Lachlan Leeds—the...

Late night, unplanned and unmissable. We’re back this year with another round of MIJF’s iconic Late Night Jams. Each weekend of the festival we shake loose and get down after hours, with spontaneous, all-improvised and unrepeatable festival-only sessions led by MIJF's house bands: Hue Blanes Trio (18, 19 & 27 Oct) and Mina Yu (25...

Consistently recognised as one of the greatest electric bassists of all time, Marcus Miller has been at the top of his game for over 40 years. Renowned for his legendary technique and feel, Miller has been the first-choice player for artists so great they need only go by one name: Miles. Dizzy. Aretha. Chaka. Elton....

Rai Thistlethwayte reimagines Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions in this deep-listening experience. First established in 2018 in Brooklyn, Take Two is an immersive deep-listening experience that features two elements: an uninterrupted, high-quality playback of a seminal album, followed by a live, modern-day reinterpretation by standout local musicians. For Take Two’s Australian premiere, Thirsty Merc frontman and prolific jazz multi-instrumentalist Rai...

A celebration of the next generation of jazz featuring students from the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance—alongside headline festival artist, Antonio Sánchez. A true luminary of modern jazz, four-time GRAMMY winner Antonio Sánchez is one of the most sought-after drummers on the international jazz scene. Following 21 years and nine albums as...

A decade after their acclaimed debut, powerhouse Australian jazz trio Paper Tiger premieres their much-anticipated second album Between the Lines of Stillness.  Comprising three of the country’s most respected and in-demand jazz artists—saxophonist Jamie Oehlers, guitarist Stephen Magnusson and drummer Ben Vanderwal—Paper Tiger have earned international praise for their innovative blend of complex melodies, expert improvisation and dynamic...

The premier harpist of her generation celebrating the music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. Celebrated as the premier harpist of her generation, Brandee Younger was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2022 for Best Instrumental Composition, and continues to pioneer the role of the harp across genres such as jazz, R&B and hip-hop. Ever-expanding as...

The premier harpist of her generation celebrating the music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. Celebrated as the premier harpist of her generation, Brandee Younger was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2022 for Best Instrumental Composition, and continues to pioneer the role of the harp across genres such as jazz, R&B and hip-hop. Ever-expanding as...

The premier harpist of her generation celebrating the music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. Celebrated as the premier harpist of her generation, Brandee Younger was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2022 for Best Instrumental Composition, and continues to pioneer the role of the harp across genres such as jazz, R&B and hip-hop. Ever-expanding as...

The premier harpist of her generation celebrating the music of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby. Celebrated as the premier harpist of her generation, Brandee Younger was nominated for a GRAMMY in 2022 for Best Instrumental Composition, and continues to pioneer the role of the harp across genres such as jazz, R&B and hip-hop. Ever-expanding as...

A celebration of the next generation of jazz, featuring students from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne—alongside Japanese avant-jazz masters Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura. Renowned for their groundbreaking work in the jazz and avant-garde scenes, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and her husband Natsuki Tamura have carved out a distinctive musical path that...

The Lion City’s ‘King of Swing,’ prolific Singaporean pianist Jeremy Monteiro showcases the best of a nearly five-decade-long career. With an impressive discography of 50 critically acclaimed albums, Jeremy Monteiro has performed alongside luminaries such as Simon & Garfunkel, Bobby McFerrin, Michael Brecker and Charlie Haden, as well as contributing to over 300 pop albums...

Late night, unplanned and unmissable. We’re back this year with another round of MIJF’s iconic Late Night Jams. Each weekend of the festival we shake loose and get down after hours, with spontaneous, all-improvised and unrepeatable festival-only sessions led by MIJF's house bands: Hue Blanes Trio (18, 19 & 27 Oct) and Mina Yu (25...

"Their sound may enter your body conventionally enough via the ears, but it rushes straight to the central nervous system, so you seem to feel it with every nerve-ending." – Sydney Morning Herald Seven years on from their “absolute triumph” (AusJazz) debut performance at the 2017 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, avant-garde quartet Kira Kira returns, performing...

“A 21st-century gig in which multimedia gadgetry and a sense of mischief combine to create something fresh and unexpected.” ***** The Times (UK) Dubbed “the best kept secret in Jazz” by Downbeat Magazine, Amsterdam-based Tin Men and the Telephone is breaking new ground in the world of improvised music. Combining live electronics and projected visuals,...

Late night, unplanned and unmissable. We’re back this year with another round of MIJF’s iconic Late Night Jams. Each weekend of the festival we shake loose and get down after hours, with spontaneous, all-improvised and unrepeatable festival-only sessions led by MIJF's house bands: Hue Blanes Trio (18, 19 & 27 Oct) and Mina Yu (25...

With a reputation for live performances that are “thrilling, virtuosic and unabashedly personal” (New York Times), GRAMMY-nominated, Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone is a unique force in both jazz and classical music. Makoto Ozone’s 1983 solo recital at Carnegie Hall catapulted him into the international spotlight—launching a storied career that has included recording and touring with...

With a reputation for live performances that are “thrilling, virtuosic and unabashedly personal” (New York Times), GRAMMY-nominated, Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone is a unique force in both jazz and classical music. Makoto Ozone’s 1983 solo recital at Carnegie Hall catapulted him into the international spotlight—launching a storied career that has included recording and touring with...

Late night, unplanned and unmissable. We’re back this year with another round of MIJF’s iconic Late Night Jams. Each weekend of the festival we shake loose and get down after hours, with spontaneous, all-improvised and unrepeatable festival-only sessions led by MIJF's house bands: Hue Blanes Trio (18, 19 & 27 Oct) and Mina Yu (25...