Kenny Werner, renowned pianist and composer, Grammy nominee, Guggenheim Fellowship Awardee and Artistic Director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee College of Music, is coming to the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival

The festival program on Lopud is enhanced by the presence of world-class jazz artists, including the distinguished Kenny Werner. Werner, serving as a jazz master, will elevate this year’s festival, running from August 29 to 31. Through his personal journey and experiences, Werner explores the barriers to creativity and mastery of music. He has lectured worldwide and written many articles on how musicians, artists, and even entrepreneurs can allow their “master creator” within to lift their performance to its highest level. His book Effortless Mastery: Liberating the Master Musician Within is one of the most widely read books on music and improvisation, helping thousands of musicians around the world to unlock their talent and potential.

His composition Inspiration, from Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner, earned him a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Instrumental Composition, and he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010 for his seminal work, No Beginning No End. His third album for Half Note Records, a renowned American jazz label, was created in collaboration with more than 70 musicians.

Werner is currently the director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee College of Music. The pinnacle of his illustrious career includes performing with the All Star Quintet, featuring Benjamin Koppel and Randy Brecker, and twice selling out the Lisinski Hall — in 2008 and 2012. With a career full of accolades, Werner’s performances are an exciting blend of technical brilliance, spiritual insights, and unforgettable emotions. At the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival, this celebrated pianist and composer will conduct masterclasses, offer guidance to participants, and enrich the festival with his music.

“I am thrilled to be part of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival in Croatia. It is not just a musical event but an opportunity for collective celebration, dance, and discovering the divine spark through the music we create. We will work to free ourselves through music and help others to clear away the noise that doesn’t really exist,” said Kenny Werner, jazz master at the second edition of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival.

In addition to performing with some of the world’s most renowned musicians, Werner has composed for orchestras such as the BBC Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, The Metropole Orchestra, Umo Jazz Orchestra, Cologne Radio Jazz Orchestra, Danish Radio Orchestra, Mel Lewis Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and many others.

Admission to the jazz concerts is free for all visitors. During the festival, from August 29 to 31, free boat transfers will be organized for the audience from Dubrovnik. The Argosy boat will depart daily from Gruž Port (across from the market) and from Lopud in front of the Lafodia Hotel.

The Ponta Lopud Creative Platform hosts and presents three summer cultural programs in 2024, welcoming all art lovers, especially those passionate about film, music, and literature. The Ponta Lopud Summer Screenings, celebrating the art of film, was the first of three events held from June 27 to 29. The second event, which will attract music lovers to the island from August 29 to 31, is the popular Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival. The third, new addition to the creative platform is the Ponta Lopud Book Bridge, a festival running from September 27 to 29, rounding off the summer festivities and closing Lopud’s cultural-artistic season.

For more information about the program, schedule, and screenings, visit jazz.pontalopud.hr and follow Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival on Instagram and Facebook!