The official opening of the Edinburgh International Festival took place on Saturday evening.
The opening concert featured the symphony in 12 parts by Wynton Marsalis, the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra entitled All Rise, who performed in his Festival debut, in the first of the 147 performances which will make up this year’s festival over the next 24 days.
Embracing the theme All Rise, this year’s International Festival turns its attention to the United States, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history.
Under Festival Director and world-renowned Scottish violinist, Nicola Benedetti, this year’s International Festival theme All Rise is a rallying cry for collaboration, resilience and ascendance. Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, the 2026 programme offers a multifaceted examination of the US.
The symphony is a tribute to American music based on the 12-bar blues intermingling influences from around the globe to examine the human condition. You can hear not only themes of the blues, but New Orleans, classical, and jazz.
This is the first of four in the International Festival’s first ever jazz residency with the legendary orchestra from New York. Wynton Marsalis is preparing to step down after four decades as its founding artistic director.
It was an exhilarating experience to hear such a complete, comprehensive, coherent composition. It is close to two hours long but was broken up by two intervals. It was so inspiring that there was applause at the end of most sections.
Emotions ran from happiness and sadness through joy and contemplation. And it is not a small work with more than 200 performers on stage.
Mahleresque is one adjective that comes to mind.
What a privilege it was to hear this live.
The residency launched with Marsalis’ epic symphony All Rise, which has inspired this year’s Festival theme, and a world-exclusive collaboration with virtuoso pianist Yuja Wang, in a not-to-be-missed programme specially arranged for Wang’s charismatic artistry to combine with the jazz orchestra’s infectious spontaneity and flair.
The 2026 edition of the Edinburgh International Festival takes place from 7-30 August. Programme information and tickets are available at www.eif.co.uk
