All that jazz!

On a cool spring evening in Beijing, the air at the Taihu Stage carried more than music — it carried conversation. Notes bent, rhythms collided, and cultures met mid-improvisation as the sixth Taihu Jazz Festival opened in sync with International Jazz Day on April 30.

What has followed is not just a festival, but a five-day immersion into a living, breathing art form.

Running through May 5 at the NCPA Taihu Stage Art Centre, the event has transformed the venue into a sprawling playground of sound, where jazz stretches beyond genre into experience. Under the theme "Everything Is Jazz", more than 330 artists from 11 countries are taking part in over 200 concerts, workshops and special events, inviting audiences to move fluidly between performance, participation and discovery.

As festival music director Huang Yong, a veteran bassist and the driving force behind the event, puts it: "The music, much like life, is a continuum — improvised, collaborative, and ever-evolving."

And for Huang, the Taihu Jazz Festival isn't just an event; it's the realization of a lifelong dream to showcase the freshest, most vibrant sounds of jazz, while creating a platform for local talent to shine.

Unlike many festivals that chase big-name stars, Huang's vision is rooted in a simple yet profound principle: "I invite creators who represent the contemporary sound of their countries. Jazz isn't about resting on the classics — it's always moving forward."