JazzAscona announced that it has named Adonis Rose as its New Orleans Music and Culture Curator.
Rose is a Grammy-winning drummer, composer, and the artistic director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Rose will work closely with the festival’s management team to increase creative offerings from the city of New Orleans and create cultural exchange opportunities for Swiss musicians in New Orleans at the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s 500-seat venue, the New Orleans Jazz Market.
Glen David Andrews performs at JazzAscona.
JazzAscona was founded in 1975 by Swiss trumpeter Hannes Anrig and was held in Lugano, Switzerland, before relocating to Ascona in 1985. A new artistic director, Karl Heinz Ern served from 1997 through 2003. Hotelier and traditional jazz aficionado Nicolas Gilliet served as JazzAscona’s artistic director from 2003 through 2019. The festival has always New Orleans-themed and attracts over 45,000 visitors, features more than 200 concerts with over 300 musicians, and hosts numerous jam sessions, exhibits, and conferences annually. New Orleans artists in the past have featured Doc Cheatham, Danny Barker, Snooks Eaglin, Marva Wright, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Lillian Boutté, Irma Thomas, Davell Crawford, Tricia Boutté, the Treme Brass Band, Glen David Andrews, Irvin Mayfield, Trombone Shorty, Jon Cleary and many, many more.
The 10-day festival takes place from late June to early July on the Swiss shores of Lake Maggiore and is devoted to historical styles of jazz, particularly from New Orleans. The 37th JazzAscona takes place this year in Ascona-Locarno from Thursday June 24 through Saturday July 3, 2021.
Rose, through his new company, the FunkyTown Agency, will now assume the role of curating the entire New Orleans experience for the festival, bringing not only New Orleans music but other New Orleans cultural treasures to Switzerland.
“For more than three decades, JazzAscona has had strong ties to the city of New Orleans. I am sure that the collaboration with Adonis will further strengthen this bond and provide many unforgettable musical experiences,” said Guido Casparis, President of JazzAscona.
“Adonis is a real professional, we are extremely pleased to welcome him to the JazzAscona team and can’t wait to see him work his magic,” commented Paolo Nappa, COO JazzAscona.
Rose said, “It is an honor to join JazzAscona and the amazing team that works for the festival. JazzAscona’s 35-year commitment to New Orleans music and culture speaks for itself. The festival has great leadership, and its programming is stellar. This partnership with strengthen the relationship between our cities, diversify the festival musically, and create working opportunities for our artists.”
About Adonis Rose:
Adonis Rose is a Grammy-award winning artist, composer, educator, and producer from the city of New Orleans. He has played and recorded with the biggest names in jazz, including Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Harry Connick, Jr., and Wynton Marsalis, and has performed on the most renowned stages in the world such as Carnegie Hall, Olympia in Paris, North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria, Birdland, Apollo Theater, Newport Jazz Festival, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, to name a few. Rose has over fifty recordings to his credit (five as a leader), including six with longtime friend, trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In 2010, he won a Grammy Award with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra for Best Large Ensemble.
In January 2017, Rose was named the Artistic Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) and led the 18-piece orchestra to its first concert season in October of that year that featured world-renowned artists Sheila E, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ledisi, Slick Rick, and Eric Benet. He has been instrumental in the organization’s success by developing educational and community programs, leading performances, and developing partnerships associated with The Jazz Market, a 350-seat performance venue in the New Orleans’ Central City neighborhood, which is home to the orchestra. Prior to his role at NOJO, Rose served as the Artist in Residence at the University of Texas Arlington and Cadillac’s Jazz by the Boulevard Festival, produced the Keller Jazz in June series, and founded the Fort Worth Jazz Orchestra, a 501 c(3) non-profit organization.
