Celebrate the life and musical legacy of one of the greatest jazz visionaries of our time: Wayne Shorter.

Died in March 2023, he wrote extensively for orchestra – when he served as musical director for Miles Davis in particular – a large part of these works having never been performed. The conductor Clark Rundell, having found these scores unknown to the general public, introduces them to us with Esperanza Spalding as part of the Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa festival.

For this concert, Esperanza Spalding combines the notes of the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra with those of an all-female quartet composed of Terry Line Carrington (American drummer), Kris Davis (Canadian pianist) and Tineke Postma (Dutch saxophonist). To enhance everything, these musicians are accompanied by four dancers Antonio Brown, Kaylin Horgan, Christiana Hunte and Tashae Udo.

The star ensemble performs Shorter’s symphonic works, including the highly regarded and rarely performed Gaia, as well as an original arrangement of “Highlights from Iphigenia”, the opera Wayne Shorter composed with Esperanza Spalding a few months before his death, here performed as a world premiere.

Program :
Highlights of Iphigenia
Midnight in Carlotta’s hair
Orbit
No plan!
Gaia

Saxophonist, bandleader and composer Wayne Shorter’s career spans seven decades. He has performed with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and Carlos Santana, co-founded the jazz fusion group Weather Report, formed his own quartet in 2000, recorded more than 20 albums and won 12 Grammys.