The current Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is showcasing some serious star power. Over the course of 10 days, world-renowned artists including Diana Krall, Buddy Guy, Robert Plant & Alison Krause, Melody Gardot, Herbie Hancock and George Benson will rub shoulders with jazz’s rising stars, sometimes even sharing the same stage. Many established artists are performing at the Festival for the first time and jazz is more prominent than ever on both indoor and outdoor Festival stages.

“It sounds cliché in the festival world, but it’s worth saying because it’s so true: we are incredibly proud to present a truly balanced program that is jam packed with gems!”, said Maurin Auxéméry, the new director of the FIJM programming.

“With the full backing of the big Festival family, each member of the programming team passionately defends their vision of jazz, which has sparked engaging discussions and a program that embodies what the genre is today. Jazz from the 21st century is changing and mutating, drawing on other musical styles, and our programming reflects this refreshing change. Jazz lovers are becoming more diversified, new generations are tuning in, and we couldn’t be happier.”

And there are prizes to be won. The Grand Prize in the “J’aime le Festival” is offered by Louisiana. The lucky winner will win a trip to … you guessed it … Louisiana!

The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, is presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Rio Tinto.

Check the schedule HERE