Russian jazz musician Igor Butman brought together his “World Youth Jazz Team” at the International Festival of Youth – 2026. The renowned musician’s gala concert with young performers took place on September 16 at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Ekaterinburg.

The joint improvisation brought together artists from Russia, China, Turkey, South Africa, Belarus, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Kazakhstan on a single stage. The performance was a perfect embodiment of the idea that music knows no borders, and that improvisation can be a special form of international dialogue.

“This is the first time we’ve put together a team like this, and I think it will mark the beginning of new friendships and creative exchange, with a continuation in the countries the musicians we invited come from. Every one of them is a phenomenal performer, each with their own distinctive style. That’s what makes our musical team so powerful,” said the renowned jazz musician.

Russia was represented at the concert by the celebrated Moscow Jazz Orchestra, led by Igor Butman. They were joined by virtuosos from around the globe, including pianist A Bu from China, vocalists Eylul Ergel from Turkey and Zoe Modiga from South Africa, saxophonist Doniyor Rizaev from Uzbekistan, trumpeters Tigran Harutyunyan from Armenia and Saten Nurmukhamed from Kazakhstan, and saxophonist Maxim Bakhar from Belarus.

“Young musicians have an enormous drive for something new, so it’s always exciting to play with them. Some people predicted jazz would die out, but we’re seeing more and more musicians turning to jazz, and more and more festivals where we get to meet one another. And it matters that young people are part of this. They’re bold, unafraid of anything, and they want to outplay you. That’s a good thing, because they pick up so much, absorb so much. The musicians who took the stage with me today are young, but they’re not students — they’re already accomplished performers,” noted Igor Butman.

The jazz musician has known many of the participants in his “team” for a long time, through various jazz festivals and performances. He mentioned that he first heard Chinese pianist A Bu many years ago in Paris. The young musician is already well known, both within the professional community and among jazz fans. A Bu enrolled at the Beijing Conservatory at the age of 8 and later studied at the renowned Juilliard School in New York.

“This is my sixth time performing in Russia, but the first time outside of Moscow. We already had a rehearsal yesterday, and today’s concert became an event that brought together musicians from different countries with very different backgrounds,” emphasized A Bu.

According to Igor Butman, the concert featured jazz standards as well as new compositions built around national themes. For instance, the musicians improvised on the Russian theme “Iskhodila Mladeshenka” from Modest Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovanshchina,” and played the song of Buratino from the film “The Adventures of Buratino.” Concert participants also presented original compositions infused with national flavor. Singer Zoe Modiga, for instance, composed a special piece for the performance.

“South Africa has very rich musical traditions: classical, jazz, digital sound. The song I performed today is dedicated to the theme of women’s rights,” Zoe Modiga explained.

The day before the concert, Igor Butman held a meeting with participants of the International Festival of Youth – 2026. According to the musician, he always discovers something new at events like these, and yesterday’s conversation was no exception. The discussion touched on the history of Soviet and Russian jazz, whose 100th anniversary was marked three years ago, as well as on the contemporary jazz scene and what draws the younger generation to this musical genre.

During the concert, the musicians on stage and the audience in the hall were united by a single language — the language of jazz. The performance became an example of a distinctive form of cultural diplomacy, with the Festival grounds serving as a launchpad for a new musical community, where the cultural codes of different countries weave together into a single melody. “Improvisation is the cornerstone of our art form, and it’s something we need to both support and develop. I think concerts featuring teams like this one should be held in different countries. Maybe we’ll inspire our participants to carry this work forward. We need to unite the world and build dialogue, including through music,” Igor Butman concluded.

Overview:

The International Festival of Youth, held as part of the Youth and Children national project, is taking place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, 2026. The decree establishing the event was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 29, 2025. The Festival is being held under the motto “Follow Your Dream”.

Participants of the IFY – 2026 include 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, including 5,000 Russians and 5,000 international citizens. Among them are leading representatives of creative industries and the arts, public administration, science and education, sport, entrepreneurship, media, digitalization and IT, and civic engagement – people who are already shaping the future of their countries and the world. Continuing the successful practice established at the World Youth Festival 2024, those invited include 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17 – 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad. The Children’s Program is organized by the Movement of the First.

The World Youth Festival took place from March 1 to 7, 2024, in Sirius, in accordance with a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at developing international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In line with instructions from Russia’s President on preserving and building on the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across Russia. The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and build a community of young people who care about the future of the world.