Korea’s finest jazz artists set to arrive at JazzFest Budapest 2026

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Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, JazzFest Budapest 2026 will once again welcome audiences with one of Europe’s strongest jazz line-ups between 27 June and 5 July. The special focus of this jubilee edition will be Korea, with several world-class performers and ensembles travelling to Budapest to showcase the most exciting directions of contemporary Korean jazz to Hungarian audiences.

Under the umbrella of JazzFest Budapest and the Korean Cultural Centre, the KOREA FOCUS programme series will also take place during the festival, further strengthening the cultural and musical ties between the two countries.

Korean concerts will feature prominently throughout the festival programme. On 28 June, world-renowned pianist Cho Yoonseung and the Cho Yoonseung Quintet will open the series at Városháza Park. On 29 June, one of today’s most acclaimed jazz vocalists, Youn Sun Nah, will perform alongside Bojan Z.

On 2 July, audiences can experience one of Asia’s most exciting progressive fusion jazz groups, the Near East Quartet featuring Gwanghyun Ahn. On 3 July, the internationally acclaimed Yonglee & The DOLTANG will take to the stage at Rákóczi Square, while the One Mind Trio will conclude the South Korean presence at Jedermann on 5 July.

A jazz bridge between Hungary and Korea

The presence of Korean artists is particularly significant because it represents more than a series of concerts — it is also a cultural dialogue. In recent years, connections between the Hungarian and Korean jazz scenes have deepened considerably.

The Nagy Emma Quintet previously performed at the Jarasum Jazz Festival, while last year’s Hungarian Focus programme featured concerts by the Dresch Quartet, the Gyémánt Bálint Trio, Viktor Tóth Skylark Metropolitan and Miklós Lukács. At the same time, several Korean jazz musicians have regularly travelled to Hungary for concert tours and professional collaborations.

The invitation of the Korean ensembles has been made possible through the collaboration between JazzFest Budapest founder Attila Kleb and Yu Hye Ryong, with support from the Jarasum Jazz Festival. This year’s Korean Focus at JazzFest Budapest is a natural continuation of this professional and artistic partnership, further strengthening the dynamic and continuously expanding jazz relationship between Hungary and Korea while building new bridges between the two jazz scenes.

Cho Yoonseung — the virtuoso of Korean jazz piano

Cho Yoonseung has become one of the most important international ambassadors of Korean jazz. Born in Seoul to a first-generation Korean jazz drummer father, he spent part of his childhood in Argentina, where he was introduced to the foundations of South American music. He completed his classical music studies in Buenos Aires before continuing at the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory on scholarship.

He later became the first Asian musician admitted as a full scholarship student to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. Alongside his work as a professor in Hollywood, he has performed with some of the biggest names in international jazz.

Cho Yoonseung jazz — Cho Yoonseung. Photo: Korean Cultural Centre & JazzFest Budapest

Audiences can hear him at Városháza Park on 28 June alongside vocalist Betty Hwang, guitarist Kim Sungwon, double bassist Shin Dong-ha and drummer Lee Sang-min.

Youn Sun Nah — one of the defining voices of contemporary jazz

Few jazz singers enjoy the same level of international recognition as Youn Sun Nah. In recent years, the Korean vocalist has appeared in leading concert halls across Europe, the United States and Asia, establishing herself as one of the defining figures of contemporary jazz through her original compositions and distinctive reinterpretations of songs.

At JazzFest Budapest, she will present her duo project with French-Serbian pianist Bojan Z — an intimate, daring and deeply personal collaboration. The two artists will perform reimagined standards alongside Youn Sun Nah’s own compositions.

Their concert will take place at Városháza Park on 29 June.

Near East Quartet feat. Gwanghyun Ahn — progressive jazz with Eastern atmospheres

The Near East Quartet is one of the most exciting acts in Korean progressive fusion jazz. Founded by saxophonist Sungjae Sohn, the ensemble has created a unique musical world where Western grooves blend naturally with traditional Korean rhythms.

A major milestone in Sohn’s career came when he became the first Korean jazz musician to release an album through ECM Records, one of the world’s most influential jazz labels.

Near East Quartet feat. Gwanghyun Ahn jazz — Near East Quartet. Photo: Korean Cultural Centre & JazzFest Budapest

Their music is both atmospheric and experimental, combining oriental soundscapes, electronic textures and improvisational jazz into a distinctive fusion. Pianist Gwanghyun Ahn will also join the group for the concert, further enriching the ensemble’s unique sound.

The band will perform at Városháza Park on 2 July.

Yonglee & The DOLTANG — where jazz meets rock and electronics

Yonglee & The DOLTANG is one of the most exciting and hardest-to-categorise bands on the contemporary Korean music scene. Led by Yonglee, the group’s improvisational music moves along the boundaries of modern jazz, rock, pop and free musical experimentation.

Yonglee & The DOLTANG jazz — Yonglee & The DOLTANG

Their sound is both structured and instinctive, while their music offers a satirical reflection on the absurdities of modern society. Electronic instruments, layered rhythms and raw improvisation make the ensemble truly distinctive.

The band will perform at Rákóczi Square on 3 July.

One Mind Trio — acoustic jazz in its purest form

The Korean focus programme will conclude on 5 July at Jedermann with a performance by the One Mind Trio. Although the members come from different musical backgrounds, they have found a shared creative language.

Their style was inspired by Hanky Panky, the legendary album by Hank Jones: refined, attentive and subtly evolving jazz centred on musical dialogue and sensitive interaction between the performers.

Lyrical piano playing, grounded double bass lines and richly textured drumming combine to create a deeply personal contemporary jazz experience — a fitting conclusion to the festival’s Korean focus.