Milestones

The MILESTONES project is a career development programme intended for professional jazz musicians living and working in Poland.  Taking place around and during the annual Jazztopad Festival in Wrocław, the project is produced by Jazztopad, the National Forum of Music (NFM), the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Arts & Parts. 

MILESTONES aims to provide Polish jazz musicians with the creative and business tools to develop their careers nationally and internationally.  By providing a safe environment, and access to a network of people working at the epicentre of jazz in Europe and beyond, it prepares those participating for a long and dynamic career in adventurous music.

The emerging musicians participating in MILESTONES for the inaugural edition in 2020 were: Stanisław Aleksandrowicz (percussion), Marcel Balinski (piano), Kamila Drabek (double bass), Marcin Kajetan Pater (percussion/vibraphone), Jakub Paulski (guitar), Kuba Płużek (piano), Kacper Krupa (saxophone) and Katherine Zyabluk (piano & vocals). And, for the second edition in 2021, the musicians were: Maceij Kądziela (saxophone), Andrzeij Kowalski (guitar), Krzysztof Kuśmierek (saxophone), Pawel Manka (guitar), Amalia Obrębowska (violin) and Katarzyna Pietrzko (piano).

The line-up of speakers and workshop leaders from the adventurous music community include commissioners, programmers, record label executives and many other specialisms from Hyde Park Jazz Festival (USA), Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Canada), Lantaren Venster, North Sea Jazz Festival and Bimhuis (The Netherlands), Ljubljana Jazz Festival (Slovenia), 12 Points & Improvised Music Company (Ireland), Europe Jazz Network (France), Jazztopad Festival & the National Forum of Music/ Narodowe Forum Muzyki, Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Wytwórnia Foundation & Venue (Poland), Pierre Boulez Saal, Jazzfest Berlin and ACT Records (Germany), Handelsbeurs Concert Hall (Belgium), Clean Feed Records (Portugal), WeJazz (Finland), Trinity Laban and Edition Records (UK).