March 26, 2015 UPDATE

Istanbul Jazz Festival, 2015

For the past few years, we’ve put together free-wheeling packages to coincide with each summer’s Istanbul Jazz Festival. We’re delighted that the organizers have given us an earlier-than-usual look at the line-up of international performers. The 22nd Annual Istanbul Jazz Festival will run from June 27 through July 15, 2015.

Esma Sultan Yalisi by Night

Once again, we’ll be happy to help you plan your own exploration of the sounds and sights of Istanbul, the center of East-West fusion. Whether you’re a single traveler or a small group, we can offer you advice and insights on how to best enjoy the arts scene in this exciting metropolis. Visits to modern galleries, new museums, and a stop at a traditional brass cymbal-making workshop are just a few of the treats we can offer.

And by night, you can take your pick of events in a city alive with music—in concert halls & historic ruins, inside tiny clubs, on the streets, and even afloat on ferry-boats. Strike out on your own or with one of us to enjoy the music and street life of a city that spans continents, millennia and musical genres. And, if you’re a musician yourself, you’ll find the hospitable Turks ever-ready to invite you to sit in on a session and jam with locals.

We can help you book the hippest budget or toniest upscale accommodations, arrange transportation, private guides, and memorable gastronomic adventures.

Unique performance venues— Byzantine basilicas, Ottoman palaces, museums, open-air theaters—will host scheduled events. Musicians hailing from the Caucasus to the Caribbean and from Mississipi to Mali are among the scheduled performers. More informally, Istanbul’s back streets, neighborhood squares, tavernas & even the waterways will resonate with music—Jazz, Blues, Big Band, of course… but and also Pop, Reggae, Rock, & New Age. This jubilant festival takes place in the very heart of the city!

For a glimpse of what awaits you and suggestions for side-trips you might make while you are in Turkey, please email us and also visit the official Jazz Festival website.