Big Band Tartu met a lot of guest conductors and other big bands during all the years of activity, with whom we continued to communicate. So we know our sommon interests, wish to lissen and share eachothers music and ideas, like to meet and study something new. Thatfor we organize already 11th International Happy Big Band Weekend 3rd-4rth of May 2025 in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. To meet friends again and share our enthusiasm with a jazz-loving audience.

The star of this weekend will be Mr. Tapio Maunuvaara - conductor, trumpetist, arranger and teacher of the Oulu Conservatory from the European Capital of Culture Oulu 2026 in Finland, whose choice of repertoire (incl. his own arrangements) will be performed by Big Band Tartu. Will be some salsa, funk and fun...

The other important international guest will be Latvian Music Academy Big Band from Latvia, led by saxophonist and composer, one of Latvian Radio Big Band leaders Davis Jurka. The special guests of the concert will be the singer Laura Sviksa and the legendary Lithuanian saxophonist Petras Vysniauskas. Programm will feature absolute big band essentials like Thad Jones, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer where Petras will bring out his great soloist qualities and vocal solist Laura Sviksa will sing some songs from legendary Diane Schuur.

From Finland there is coming the Finnish Jazz Association's JASO Big Band, conducted by Ari Jokelainen, who plans to perform evergreen big band classics by Sammy Nestico.

From further away from Tartu will join to the festival Concert Orchestra of Estonian Wind Band Conductor's (VOP), chief conductor Bert Langeler, who will perform a specially prepared big-band style program with a wind orchestra. In addition, the Tallinn Music School Big Band, conducted by Ott Kask and Ivo Jürisson, will be performing on the ERM stage.

Also we are happy welcome in our stage Eller Big Band (conductor Tanel Aavakivi), Tartu Sax Choir (conductor Toomas Peterson) and Big Band Tartu, who have the opportunity to perform a program with our guest from Finland - Tapio Maunuvaara.

In our concert in Tallinn will play our dear friends TalTech Big Band (conductor Teet Raik, vocal soloist Kristjan Karmo) and the Finnish Jazz Association's JASO Big Band, conducted by Ari Jokelainen.