July 2026 / News
JazzAscona, the Swiss Jazz Award Ceremony
Thursday, July 2, is one of the festival’s highlight evenings. The most anticipated moment is the presentation of the 2026 Swiss Jazz Award to Manon Mullener (9:45 p.m., Stage Seven), a young, rapidly rising pianist from Fribourg Switzerland whose fresh and highly musical Jazz blends modern influences with Latin and Afro-Cuban elements. Her album Stories has solidified this direction, and she arrives in Ascona at a particularly fulfilling stage in her career.
On the main stage, the evening is entirely dedicated to New Orleans: at 8:00 p.m., the Adonis Rose & Phillip Manuel Ensemble makes its debut, offering a sophisticated blend of Jazz, soul, and crooner-style vibes; next up is Glen David Andrews with the NOJO5 (10:30 p.m., New Orleans Stage), who bring the city’s warmest and most festive side back to the forefront.
Among the day’s debut performances, the concert by the Nanna Carling Swingband (9:30 p.m., Blue LLama Terrace) stands out. A saxophonist, singer, composer, and a musician following in her family’s footsteps (she has played with the Carling Family since childhood and is the granddaughter of Gunhild Carling), Nanna performs swing and traditional Jazz with great verve, brilliance, and infectious joy.
Among the other concerts of the evening are trumpeter Anthony Hervey with his quartet (8:30 p.m., Stage Elvezia) and, to close out the night, the most festive act: Arturo y su Azucaribe (12:00 a.m., Blue LLama Terrace), featuring Cuban rhythms and a dance-filled atmosphere.
Also worth noting: the lunch concert by the Silvan Zingg Quartet featuring Peter Verhas (11:45 a.m., Blue LLama Terrace).
Todays picks
Silvan Zingg Quartet feat. Peter Verhas (11:45, Blue LLama Terrace)
The Fried Seven feat. Andrew Oliver (18:30, Ristorante Il Barone)
Adonis Rose & Phillip Manuel Ensemble (20:00, Stage New Orleans)
Anthony Hervey / Johannes von Ballestrem Quartet (20:30, Stage Elvezia)
Nanna Carling Swingband (21:30, Blue LLama Terrace)
Manon Mullener – Swiss Jazz Award (21:45, Stage Seven)
NOJO5 feat. Glen David Andrews (22:30, Stage New Orleans)
Arturo y su Azucaribe (00:00, Blue LLama Terrace)
