Purpose

1. What Maastricht and Limburg need

The observer of Maastricht and Southern Limburg has two distinct impressions. On one side there is a city and a region with probably Holland’s most beautiful nature and architecture, a highly developed economy of hospitality and gastronomy, a rich and happy popular culture and a geographic position, that offers enormous possibilities. On the other hand, there is much room for initiatives, that reinforce the international character of the region and stimulate a better use of this international area, called the Euroregion.

The Euroregion is without any doubt attractive for highly qualified employment, with 3.5 million people, advanced industries, good accessibility in the heart of Europe and a very pleasant living climate. If this living climate can be enriched with more internationally oriented culture, then the Euroregion is an absolute top location. In other words: efforts to give culture of international character a more important place contribute to make the region even more attractive to investors. These efforts deserve substantial support.

2. How can Jazz be an added value ?

Jazz arose when African music-cultures met other music styles. From the first moment on, jazz has always been a creative melting-pot. If jazz wouldn’t still be this melting-pot today, jazz would be dead. Many people, that are only familiar with the more traditional forms of jazz, and never had the pleasure of listening to today’s broad mix of styles, see jazz music as music for old people.

Everywhere where musicians improvise and communicate with each other and their audiences, jazz is being created. The structure is no longer of importance and may vary from well-known traditional jazz-styles to Chinese folk music, from symphonic jazz to rap, pop and hip-hop. This makes today’s jazz to a perfect instrument to bring people together from all over the world; a high quality level, a broad and varied offer, rapid and fascinating developments, a spontaneous open minded and tolerant atmosphere. This appeals to all age-categories, including young artists, the more creative part of the population and a growing group of young public.

Jazz Maastricht’s main objective is (in cooperation with the Maastricht Conservatorium and other Cultural organisations, politics, Trade and Industry ) to give the city and the region permanent added value by offering a high-quality jazz program throughout the year and radiate this with an annual festival.

3. Jazz Maastricht's contribution

With the enhancement of the cultural gamma and a contribution to creative education, Jazz Maastricht wants to enforce and internationalize the image of Maastricht, the area ‘Zuid-Limburg’ and the Euroregion, and to be a stimulance for improvement of well-being and economical development.

The roads we follow to realize these objectives are:

1. Theatre concerts and club concerts;

2. Educational programs for different age-categories;

3. An annual international jazz festival with an important impact (Jazz Masters);
4. An annual ‘jazz fair’ for the public of the Euroregion (Jazz Promenade)
5. Cooperation with organisations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany to improve and promote the overall jazz programming - in the Euroregion as well as the rest of Europe.