St. Petersburg will be the center of events timed to the seventh annual celebration of the International Jazz Day in 2018.
This is stated in a press release of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), circulated on August 25.
Eighteen countries claimed the right to organize the main events of the Jazz Day, the jury’s decision to elect St. Petersburg as the capital of jazz in 2018 was a recognition of Russia’s exceptional contribution to the development of this art, “the organization said in a statement. It is noted that the decision of the international jury was approved by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
The International Jazz Day was established by UNESCO in November 2011 by the decision of the 36th session of the UNESCO General Conference. The celebration takes place annually on April 30 in dozens of cities around the world with the goal of “raising the international community’s awareness of the pedagogical role of jazz as a force that promotes peace, unity, dialogue and increased contacts between people.”
The first International Jazz Day in Paris in 2012 was opened by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock.
The organizers of the celebration of the International Jazz Day in 2018 are the government of St. Petersburg and the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO. The project manager is a Russian saxophonist, People’s Artist of Russia Igor Butman.