Gustavo Mezo at the European Jazz Conference 2022 in Sofia

From 22 to 25 September 2022, Monart founder Gustavo Mezo took part in the European Jazz Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, the annual gathering of the Europe Jazz Network.

Breaking New Ground

The 8th European Jazz Conference took place at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, two years after the edition planned there for 2020 was cancelled because of the pandemic. It was co-organised by the Europe Jazz Network and the A to Z Foundation, which runs the A to JazZ Festival.

Under the theme “Breaking New Ground”, discussion groups covered leadership and succession in cultural management, sustainability in music, business models, fair practices towards musicians and the gender gap between eastern and western Europe. The programme also included a keynote by the philosopher Alicja Gescinska on music and morality, and a solidarity event for Ukraine.

324 professionals from 38 countries

The conference brought together 324 music professionals from 38 countries, most of them festival and venue directors and representatives of national and regional organisations, alongside promoters, agents, managers, academics and journalists. A showcase programme of Bulgarian artists and a presentation of Bulgarian music traditions and their links with jazz completed the four days.

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Key facts