Small Academy of Jazz London 2026 was a big success!

Maezztro Music Education welcomed the Small Academy of Jazz to London for its second edition, continuing an educational initiative that has been developing in Poland for more than four decades.

Founded 42 years ago by Boguslaw Dziekanski, the Small Academy of Jazz introduces younger audiences to jazz through live performance, storytelling and accessible exploration of the music’s history, styles and creative language. Its London programme brought this long-standing educational concept to children and families within the Polish and international communities.

The two-day programme began on Saturday 3rd October at the Polish Saturday School - Szkola Przedmiotow Ojczystych im. Maria Sklodowska Curie in Wimbledon, with two sessions for different age groups, and continued on Sunday 4th October at Ognisko Polskie - Polish Hearth in South Kensington.

The London edition featured the Academy’s founder Boguslaw Dziekanski and saxophonist and educator Marek Konarski. For the Sunday programme, Konarski was joined by the Tomasz Zyrmont Trio - pianist Tomasz Zyrmont, double bassist Ben Hazleton and drummer Filippo Galli.

Combining live musical examples with commentary and storytelling, the programme offered children aged 8-15 an opportunity to encounter jazz not simply as a repertoire, but as a musical language shaped by different traditions, styles and approaches to improvisation. The strong engagement and enthusiasm of the young audience demonstrated the value of this direct, performance-based approach to music education. The project also involved Maezztro students, connecting the Academy’s educational tradition with the wider London jazz environment.

The London visit concluded with an appearance on Polskie Radio Londyn, where the organisers and musicians discussed the history and educational philosophy of the Small Academy of Jazz and its development in London.

The second London edition marks another step in creating a dialogue between the Polish jazz education tradition and London’s contemporary music scene, while giving a new generation the opportunity to experience live jazz in an educational and culturally diverse setting.