Melbourne International Jazz Festival

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival returns to Chapel Off Chapel this October with six performances bringing international artists, Australian talent and the next generation of jazz musicians to Prahran. From experimental collaborations and contemporary piano to Japanese jazz and reimagined Great American Songbook classics, there’s plenty to dip into across the program.

17 October — Monash Art Ensemble feat. George Lewis & ELISION
American composer and trombonist George Lewis returns to Melbourne for a special collaboration with the Monash Art Ensemble and members of ELISION, celebrating experimentation, creative risk-taking and musical innovation.

18 October — Shai Maestro: The Guesthouse
Contemporary jazz pianist Shai Maestro brings music from his 2026 release The Guesthouse, blending focused songwriting and dynamic production with the adventurous improvisation and emotional depth that have shaped his work.

20 October — Belle Chen
Pianist, composer and sonic storyteller Belle Chen brings classical, jazz and electronic influences together through piano, synthesisers and improvisation, creating music with a cinematic sense of discovery.

21 October — Masters & Apprentices feat. Kris Davis
Influential pianist and composer Kris Davis performs alongside students from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, showcasing Melbourne’s next generation of jazz talent following a series of intensive rehearsals.

22 October — Tenors in Chaos + STEREO CHAMP + Misaki Umei
Take a dive into Japan’s contemporary jazz scene with a triple bill featuring Tenors in Chaos, STEREO CHAMP and Misaki Umei — three distinctive acts helping shape the sound of modern Japanese jazz.

23 October — Olivia Chindamo & Matthew Sheens
Australian-born, New York-based duo Olivia Chindamo and Matthew Sheens return to launch their second album, Putting It Together, bringing together Great American Songbook favourites, reworked classics and original compositions shaped by years immersed in New York’s jazz scene.

Whether you want to discover what’s happening in Japanese jazz right now, hear established artists pushing the form somewhere new, or catch emerging musicians at the beginning of their careers, Chapel Off Chapel has six very different reasons to settle in and listen this October.