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Jazz in Paros Festival is a weeklong Jazz Festival which is held every year on Paros in parallel with the  5-day Jazz Workshop "Paros Jazz Academy" around middle of July; it’s been established as an institution on Paros since 2011.

Mrs. Athena Perantinou (Tourism and Event Management) is its Founder and Director. Originally from Paros she has been working in the field of Tourism for many years through her personal tourism business Perantinos Travel and Tourism.   

What inspired her to establish this event and get involved with Jazz music –terra incognita till 2011-, was the encouragement from two very special friends, both of them Paros and Jazz lovers, Ian and Melody McLaren who have been participating in similar Jazz workshops and festivals in Tuscany .

The idea that Paros island could host such type of events and attract artists and amateurs who would have the opportunity to enjoy music and a splendid holiday on Paros at the same time  was both the challenge and the starting point for this amazing organization, the JAZZ in PAROS...

The vision

Jazz in Paros Festival has a free spirit; it is dynamic and  in continuous evolution through new collaborations and the pursuit of new innovative artistic expressions.

Our vision is to bring as many as possible talented & inspired musicians on Paros Island and insert Paros into the global Jazz map as a meeting point where students, teachers and audience will be interacting amid the idyllic settings of the island.

Since 2011 more than 100 Jazz students, 30 artists and 5000 concert visitors from all over the world have participated sharing their music (as well as many funny and sweet memories), making new friends from around the globe and having a lifetime experience on Paros.

Furthermore  Jazz in Paros Festival has been organizing many Jazz and Poetry concerts at Lefkes amphitheater with the kind assistance of Parian poet Christos Georgousis and piano teacher Dimitra Marangozis. This is an effort to connect the local Parian arts & poetry with the Jazz music scene.
 
The beginning

Jazz in Paros Festival was set in motion in 2011 as a Greek -French collaboration;The "Paris-Paros Project" between the Tourism and Event Manager Athena Perantinou and French musician Marc Buronfosse as artistic director.
“The Paris- Paros Project” was supported by Arts Culture Europe, a French nonprofit organization. It slowly evolved from an International Jazz workshop into a Jazz Festival with the participation of many renowned French and Greek artists: Sara Lazarus, Eric Breton, Vincent Bourgeyx, Alexandra Grimal, Joe Quitzke, Isabelle Olivier, Stéphane Tsapis, Heleen Schuttevaer, Arnaud Biscay, Jasser Haj Youssef , Gaël Cadoux , Arnaud Dolmen,  Andreas Polyzogopoulos, Marc-Antoine Perrio, Anna Lauvergnac, Vasilis Gouzios , Chloé Cailleton, Michael Felberbaum and many more.

In July 2015, collaborating with Aegean Cultural Initiative, we produced a smaller scale event under the artistic direction of Vasilis Racopoulos  with well known Greek Jazz artists: George Kontrafouris, Vassilis Podaras, Terry Vakirtzoglou, Andonis Ladopoulos and Richard Smith as a special guest.

The 6th edition of JAZZ in PAROS will take place from 20-25/07 2016 under the artistic direction of the exquisite and talented musician and composer Petros Klampanis.

JAZZ in PAROS  2016 festivities will include again a 5-day long workshop,  the  Paros Jazz Academy  parallely  with the Jazz in Paros Festival . The Paros Jazz Academy consists of a team of experienced teachers and artists all with international backgrounds that will be sharing their knowledge and passion for music with students from around the world and will surround  the Jazz in Paros Festival. Besides the bass player and composer Petros Klampanis which is  distinguished on the other side of the Atlantic in New York,  in this year’s organization participate also very well known and established Jazz musicians such us: Dimos Dimitriadis (saxophone), Spyros Manesis  (piano), Panagiotis Andreou (el. bass), Costas Baltazanis (guitar), Τammy Scheffer (vocals), Ronen Itzik (drums).

The 6th Festival JAZZ in PAROS is preparing to celebrate with a concert-marathon,  the "Jazz in Action",  on Saturday July 23 at 21:00 in  Monastery, Paros.