Italian pianist Lorenzo De Finti, who combines excellent technique and bright artistic expression, will start the concert series on October 13, and will be joined by double bassist Stefano Dall'Ora, trumpeter Alberto Mandarini and drummer Marco Castiglioni. Lorenzo specializes in jazz and contemporary music, reflecting his influences from traveling and performing around Europe and the United States. He is also a lecturer and jazz radio host who conducts seminars and workshops on piano and keyboard performance and technical aspects.

A week later, on October 20, in the Latvian Radio Studio 1, it will be possible to dive into the music created by another unusual Italian band with listening ears and an open heart. Satoyama is a band of four curious and courageous Italian musicians, always on a journey to the frontiers of contemporary music. This year trumpeter Luca Benedetto, guitarist Christian Russano, double bassist Marco Bellafiore and drummer Gabriele Luttino celebrate the tenth anniversary of this road and are ready to invite the public to the anniversary party. Satoyama’s music is woven with Northern European jazz influences, mixed with experiments in both the acoustic and electronic fields.

On October 28, in Riga, it will be possible to enjoy American jazz of the highest quality, because then pianist Emmet Cohen will perform in the Latvian Radio Studio 1 together with double bassist Joey Ranieri and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Jazz pianist and composer Emmett Cohen is at the vanguard of his generation's musical development. An acknowledged child prodigy, Cohen began piano lessons at the age of three and quickly emerged as a young artist offering musicality, technique, and a mature concept. The past is always present in Emmet’s music, and his trio lives and plays according to the belief that all music and art is contemporary, because what is created in the moment lives alongside the artist.

On November 3, the Art of Riga Jazz concertseries will be closed by Laura Prince – a French-Togolese singer and composer with a broad view on the world of music. Together with pianist and arranger Grégory Privat from Martinique, she performs soulful melodies in Afro-Latin rhythms. Laura has always blended her global music influences with a great legacy of blues and jazz voices.

Art of Riga Jazz is a special series of improvisation and jazz music concerts for musically passionate listeners who appreciate high-quality artistic performance and new nuances of musical sound, as well as want to meet great and internationally recognized musicians in a more intimate atmosphere. The concerts in the Latvian Radio Studio 1 will start with a conversation led by music journalist Kaspars Zaviļeiskas, allowing audience to understand even more the nuances of artist’s creative activity.

As part of the series, such world-class artists as Spanish singer and trombonist Rita Payés, American bassist Richard Bona and Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, Italian band XY Quartet, American guitarist Charlie Hunter and singer Lucy Woodward, American guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg, American steel guitar master Roosevelt Collier, American drummer Terry Bozzio, American trumpeter Christian Scott, British singer ALA.NI, British pianist Bill Laurance, Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral, Norwegian singer Kristin Asbjornsen, German guitarist Joscho Stephan, German pianist Ralf Schmid, Brazilian singer Paula Morelenbaum, Beninese guitarist and singer Lionel Loueke, British/Danish/Swedish trio Phronesis, a cappella group Accent and many other great musicians already performed in Riga.

The concert series are supported by the Riga City Council, the State Culture Capital Foundation, the U.S. Embassy, the Embassy of Italy, the Embassy of the French Republic, Latvijas gāze, Tele 2 and other benefactors who love quality music.

All concerts start at 7 PM. Tickets are already available at bilesuparadize.lv.