It's been 10 years since Adelaide was designated as a UNESCO City of Music, a prestigious title which recognises the quality, diversity and commitment to music and creativity in the city over many decades.
To mark the anniversary of Adelaide joining this network of just 59 cities around the globe, and to celebrate International Jazz Day, the Adelaide Festival Centre is hosting a very special concert.
This event at Dunstan Playhouse on April 30 will feature performances by ARIA-nominated Zela Margossian Quintet and acclaimed local artist Ciara Louise Ferguson (pictured), celebrating the power of jazz that transcends boundaries.
Zela Margossian Quintet is a dynamic ensemble blending the rich sounds of Armenian traditional music with the improvisational freedom of contemporary jazz. They will be joined by the 2024 recipient of the COMA Emerging Jazz Writer’s Award, Ciara Louise Ferguson, who will form a band for the occasion, presenting her distinctive ethereal jazz music as the opening act.
The International Jazz Day 2025 concert will present the Adelaide Edition of the UNESCO International Jazz Relay, a global initiative to promote jazz music and creativity worldwide, featuring the premiere of Adelaide’s Edition for the relay, a new work created by renowned South Australian composer Mark Ferguson specifically for the 10th-anniversary celebrations named 3:23am.
“Our UNESCO City of Music designation is a unique cultural bridge to the world and the Adelaide City of Music office is proud to have facilitated an opportunity to celebrate Adelaide music culture during the 10th Anniversary of the designation,” General Manager of UNESCO Adelaide City of Music Joe Hay said.
Zela Margossian Quintet’s Zela Margossian said: “Jazz offers us the medium to express ourselves freely and connects musicians and audiences, through music, from different cultures and backgrounds and, it will be a beautiful way for us to celebrate the significance of International Jazz Day and mark the 10th anniversary of Adelaide being a UNESCO city of music.”
The annual International Jazz Day celebration, held globally on April 30, recognises the incredible art form of jazz, and provides an opportunity to celebrate Adelaide as a UNESCO City of Music.
Tickets available here.
