CJ Cultural Foundation Hosts 'Jazz Week' to Celebrate 20th Anniversary, Offering 60% Free Admission to Underprivileged Youth

Jazz performers and popular music artists will present special musical stages in Mapo District, Seoul, for four days.

All performances are free of charge, and approximately 60% of the total audience will be invited from among children and adolescents who have relatively fewer opportunities to access culture and arts, expanding opportunities for cultural enjoyment through music.

The CJ Cultural Foundation (Chairman Lee Jae-hyun) announced that it will host 'JAZZ WEEK' at CJ Agit Kwangheungchang in Mapo District, Seoul, from the 28th to the 31st in collaboration with the popular music magazine 'Jazz People'.

This event is a joint production by the CJ Cultural Foundation and Jazz People, both of which are celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year. The lineup consists of stages covering various musical genres including jazz, pop, singer-songwriters, and classical music, featuring domestic jazz performers, popular music artists, and faculty members from overseas music institutions.

In particular, unlike typical commemorative performances, the focus has been placed on securing viewing opportunities for children and adolescents from culturally underprivileged backgrounds. Approximately 60% of the total audience will be invited as children and adolescents, and the performances will be operated for free.

The intention is to allow teenagers, who often find it difficult to encounter jazz performances, to experience various performances and musical expressions.

A total of 8 teams will participate over the four days. Two teams will take the stage each day in turn, showcasing different musical compositions ranging from authentic jazz to performances combined with popular music.

On the first day, the 28th, the 'Kang Jae-hoon Trio', led by jazz pianist Kang Jae-hoon, a former recipient of the CJ Music Scholarship, and singer-songwriter Sunwoo Jung-A will appear.

On the 29th, pianist Kim Kwang-min, a first-generation graduate of the Berklee College of Music in the United States, will present a solo piano performance. This will be followed by a performance featuring the jazz ensemble 'Yoon Seok-cheol Trio' and Lee Jin Ah, an alumna of the 9th class of the CJ Cultural Foundation's indie musician support program 'Tune Up'.

On the 30th, the 'SM Jazz Trio' and Jung Dong-hwan of the group MeloMance, an alumna of the 17th class of Tune Up, will take the stage.

On the final day, the 31st, musicians who are former recipients of the CJ Music Scholarship will perform in collaboration with faculty members from the Berklee College of Music.

The 'CJ X Berkeley Band', featuring drummer Shin Dong-jin, bassist Sang-Wook Cheong, saxophonist Kwak Kyung-jin, and two faculty members from the Berklee College of Music, will perform, and 'Jazz People Rising Stars' will also take the stage.

Along with the musical performances, a commentary program has been prepared to help the audience's understanding.

Ryu Hee-sung, a reporter for Jazz People, will host the performances on the 28th, 29th, and 31st, while music critic Lim Hee-yoon will participate as a host on the 30th. The format involves providing explanations regarding the performing musicians and their music after each performance.

The organizers explained that the program was designed so that the children and adolescents watching the performances can understand the musical backgrounds of the performers and the characteristics of jazz.

Since its establishment in 2006, the CJ Cultural Foundation has operated projects to discover and support emerging creators in popular culture fields such as music, film, and musicals.

In the music field, it conducts projects such as 'Tune Up', an indie musician support program, as well as the 'Yoo Jae-ha Music Competition with CJ' and the 'CJ Music Scholarship'. These projects provide creation and performance opportunities to emerging musicians while supporting music education and activities.

Musicians who have gone through the foundation's support programs will also participate in this Jazz Week. The performance list includes performers who are former recipients of the CJ Music Scholarship, including Kang Jae-hoon, as well as musicians from Tune Up.

Jazz People is a popular music magazine that has introduced domestic jazz performances and musicians and recorded related activities. To mark their 20th anniversaries, the CJ Cultural Foundation and Jazz People planned this performance involving domestic jazz musicians and emerging performers.

A representative from the CJ Cultural Foundation stated, "To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we prepared Jazz Week to provide a stage for young musicians to meet more audiences and to provide children and adolescents with the opportunity to experience new music. Based on the experience of supporting creators accumulated over the past 20 years, we will continue to support the new challenges and attempts of musicians and strive to expand the diversity and possibilities of Korean popular music."

Meanwhile, Jazz Week is co-hosted by the CJ Cultural Foundation, Jazz People, and the Korea Mecenat Association, and is managed by BEPC Tangent. The Community Chest of Korea (Fruit of Love) is participating as a supporting organization.