Our history – our DNA
fill in – International Jazz Festival Saar is still young, but has already had an impressive journey. Within just three years, the jazz festival has established itself as a fixture on the European jazz scene and now attracts more than 12,500 people every year.
2020/21
In the 2010s, a lively jazz scene developed in the SaarLorLux Greater Region. More and more young people are discovering this music for themselves. During the coronavirus pandemic, this gave jazz drummer and HfM-SAAR professor Oliver Strauch the idea of initiating a festival for the SaarLorLux region that would bring contemporary jazz from international stars to the region.
photo: Pasquale D’Angiolillo
2022
In late autumn 2022, the time will have come: fill in – International Jazz Festival Saar will be founded as a project of K8 Institut für strategische Ästhetik gGmbH. The team comes together and plans the first concerts. Sponsors must be found, funding applied for and the coming year planned. The photo shows the founding team (from left to right): Henrik Elburn, Julia Hartnik, Oliver Strauch, Anna-Maria Praks, Tamay Zieske and Aude Poilroux.
2023
On 25 June 2023, a fill-in concert will take place for the first time. Fill-in will be a guest performer at the Saarklang Festival, showcasing a young trio of HfM students with Sandrine Lisken (vocals), Roman Reznic (piano) and Sebastian Ost (drums). A few days later, the new festival will be presented at the ‘Fête de la Musique’ in Saargemünd. At the beginning of July, the time will have come. fill in will kick off the festival weekend on 6 July with a glittering evening at St. Johanner Markt. On the opening night (fill in BARS & CLUBS), students and graduates of the HfM will play jazz in all its diversity and bring the music to the people on the streets free of charge.
The actual festival takes place from 7 to 9 July in the Südmülde in the German-French Garden. The first edition is very well attended. No wonder, as fill in offers a colourful programme of legends, world stars, hip newcomers and top-class regional musicians. The line-up includes Dorantes, Kenny Garrett, Anne Paceo, Léon Phal, the Michel Meis Quartet and John Scofield.
photos: Pasquale D’Angiolillo
2024
This year, fill in is recognised as a cultural beacon for the first time, giving it the opportunity to present and establish itself with additional events outside of the FESTIVAL. With GIU, the festival gains a new sponsor that is keen to get involved. The idea of fill in AVENUE is born, a colourful street festival in the Eurobahnhof district that celebrates jazz. A gift from fill in and the GIU to the people of the city, designed to attract new visitors. The concept works: thousands come to the AVENUE in mid-April.
At the end of June, the actual festival starts again with fill in BARS & CLUBS at St. Johanner Markt. But everything is a little different. On Monday of the festival week, the team celebrates the Südmulde at the DFG. The rain of the past months has soaked the grounds, and the stage cannot be set up. The GIU saves fill in and offers the E-WERK on the Saarterrassen as a venue. Disappointment quickly gives way to great joy. The old industrial cathedral proves to be a stroke of luck. The team, and in particular the production team around Paul Strohbach and Tobias Turco, do an incredible job and quickly relocate the festival.
This year’s line-up includes Martin Weinert and his ensemble, Billy Cobham, Alfredo Rodriguez, Zara McFarlane, Roni Kaspi, Camille Bertault and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. In August, fill in will be spending two days on Vauban Island in Saarlouis, catching up on some open-air music. Marcel Loeffler and Thomas Siffling are the star guests, world-class jazz singer Daniel Mattar will offer a participatory concert, and ‘Jazz unter den Bäumen’ (Jazz under the Trees) will feature experimental jazz. Then, in autumn, a highlight: for the first time, a fill in concert is sold out. The great Jan Garbarek comes to the Stadthalle St. Ingbert and, together with Trilok Gurtu, causes storms of enthusiasm. More than 12,000 people come to fill in, and the festival triples its visitor numbers.
photos: Oliver Dietze
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2025
This year, fill in AVENUE is establishing itself as a permanent fixture in the programme. The festival continues to be innovative and bold, expanding AVENUE. The street festival takes place over two days in May.
fill in Bars & Clubs also remains a permanent fixture in the programme as the opening night. Young jazz musicians play at several locations in front of the restaurants and pubs around St. Johanner Markt.
The festival has found a home at the E-Werk, and the concerts will once again be held here. With more time now available, the team is building its own stage and transforming the building into a jazz club.
The programme features outstanding artists: the Stochelo & Mozes Rosenberg Trio, Lakecia Benjamin, Charlotte Planchou, Dhafer Youssef, Emmet Cohen and Curtis Stigers receive rapturous applause and standing ovations on more than one occasion. Although the festival offers significantly fewer events than last year, more people attend: more than 12,500 see the festival’s concerts.
photos: Iris Maria Maurer
2026
Once again, fill in – International Jazz Festival Saar has been recognised as a cultural beacon and is being supported by the Saarland state government. And the story continues…
photo: Uli Weis
