41st Jazz Plaza International Festival 2026 to Honor Maestro Frank Fernández

The 41st Jazz Plaza International Festival 2026 will open in Havana with a musical tribute to the pedagogical legacy of renowned pianist and composer Frank Fernández, to be held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theatre of Cuba.

The opening concert, entitled Frank Fernández: Maestro of Generations, will bring together young performers trained at artistic institutions from various regions of the country, who will showcase the maestro’s educational legacy through a carefully curated inaugural performance.

According to the Organizing Committee, the evening will feature expressions of traditional Cuban culture such as rumba and punto cubano, alongside contemporary proposals that reflect the breadth and diversity of the nation’s musical landscape.

One of the central moments of the event will be the performance of the Great Cuban Youth Orchestra, composed of students formed within the national artistic education system in provinces including Granma, Las Tunas, Holguín, and Camagüey.

Officially convened by the Ministry of Culture, the Festival will take place from January 25 to February 1 in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, and— for the first time—Holguín.

Artistic director Roberto Fonseca presented the official theme song, La Rumba Me Llama, while visual accompaniment for the 41st edition will be provided by the pictorial work of master artist Alfredo Sosabravo.

Víctor Rodríguez García, president of the Festival, confirmed the participation of artists from 15 countries, reinforcing the international scope of the event and its growing cultural impact.

Jazz Plaza 2026 is envisioned as a space for dialogue and exchange among generations and cultures, further consolidating Cuba’s position as a leading hub of contemporary jazz in Latin America.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez