The second day of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival featured two exceptional masterclasses, culminating in a mesmerizing concert by Grammy-winning artist Linda May Han Oh and her band, The Glass Hours.

After a fantastic opening of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival, the second day kicked off with a masterclass led by this year’s jazz master, Kenny Werner, a celebrated pianist and Grammy-winning composer. Following his masterclass, Effortless Mastery, the festival’s co-founder and artistic director, Thana Alexa, along with award-winning musicians Nicole Zuraitis, Sara Serpa, and Will Vinson, delivered a talk on using instruments as lyrical and experimental tools of expression.

„The essence of music isn’t just in sounding good, but in embracing the fact that we have the ability to create it. I am thrilled to be part of Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival because I believe I can make a positive impact on people who truly care about what they do. While we’re here, we’ll work on liberating ourselves through music, and also help others liberate themselves from the noise that doesn’t really exist,” said Kenny Werner, the jazz master of the second edition of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival.

The evening program in the garden of the Grand Hotel was spectacularly opened by Grammy-winning bassist Linda May Han Oh and her band, The Glass Hours. Following the concert, visitors were treated to another musical improvisation session, featuring the PL Jazz Participant House Band, composed of talented young festival participants from Croatia, the region, and beyond.

„The audience was wonderful and inspiring, and the ambiance – playing with the sound of the waves in the background – was beautiful. We’re enjoying our time on Lopud, getting to know the culture and gastronomy,” said Linda May Han Oh.

A particularly memorable segment of the festival took place at LOPUD 1483, a meticulously restored Franciscan monastery dating back to 1483, which, following extensive renovations spearheaded by Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, has opened its doors to visitors and guests. This extraordinary setting provided the ideal backdrop for a guided wine tasting by Saints Hills Winery, led by Mira Šemić, the first wine academician from the Balkans, with wines presented by the talented young winemaker Lucia Tolj.

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 Lapadska Obala 7 (bus stop in front of the Faculty of Economics) at 7:00 PM, and from Lopud in front of Hotel Lafodia at 12:30 AM.

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. 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 the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival on social media.