Major international performers at past festivals have included Maynard Ferguson, Toots Thielemans, Billy Cobham Culture Mix, Mike Mainieri, Victor Bailey, Chico & the Gypsies, Soweto Kinch, Alex Wilson, and Nikki Yeoh, among others.
During his university years he additionally had private lessons with David Friedman (USA) and attended workshops with e.g. Keiko Abe, Billy Hart, Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Ed Thigpen, David Liebman/Richard Beirach, and Reinhard Flatischler.
The most famous performances in the festival's history include Chick Corea, Charlie Mariano, Joe Zawinul, Billy Cobham, Stéphane Grappelli, Ron Carter, Chris Potter, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ahmad Jamal, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Joachim Kühn, Sheila Jordan with Cameron Brown, Philip Catherine, Maria João, Candy Dulfer, Barbara Dennerlein, Daniel Humair, and others more.
Billy Joel | Billy Wilder | Billy Crystal | Billy Bob Thornton | Billy Taylor | Billy Hart | Billy Connolly | Billy Bragg | Billy Idol | Billy Cobham | Billy Preston | Billy Ray Cyrus | Billy Graham | Billy Eckstine | Billy Budd | Billy the Kid | Billy Sunday | Billy Mitchell | Billy Zane | Billy Squier | Billy Martin | Billy Corgan | Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham | Billy Ocean | Billy Joe Shaver | Billy Meredith | Cobham plc | Billy West | Billy Hughes | Billy Elliot |
He appeared on numerous albums: Billy Cobham's Total Eclipse and Clive Stevens' Voyage to Uranus (1974); Jan Hammer's First Seven Days (1975); Lenny White's Big City and Miroslav Vitouš' Majesty Music (1977); Jaroslav Jakubovic's Checkin' In, Mark Moogy Klingman's Moogy II, the Players Association's Born to Dance, and Josh White Jr.'s self-titled album (1978); and others.
Don Grolnick (b. Brooklyn, NY, September 23, 1947; died June 1, 1996) was an American jazz and pop pianist and composer, most noteworthy for his work with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Billy Cobham, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland and Steely Dan.
He later studied under Nippy Noya, from Amsterdam, and Karl Potter (USA), and participated in a masterclass with Billy Cobham, in Germany.
Over the years, the festival hosted famous artists as Billy Cobham, Angelique Kidjo, Incognito, Marlene Kuntz, Max Gazzè, Maurizio Nazzaro, Naïf, La Fame di Camilla, Sisters & Daughters of Praise, Earth, Wind & Fire, Pacifico, Lura, Rachelle Ferrell, Dobet Gnahorè, Oscar D'León.
He learnt to play the drums at an early age, and was heavily influenced by several notable drummers including Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd and Stewart Copeland.
He was the lead singer and guitarist of the band Barad, and, in 2008, he released his debut solo album, Mehr, which features drummer Billy Cobham on two songs.
Serenade to a Soul Sister is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver released on the Blue Note label in 1968, featuring performances by Silver with Charles Tolliver, Stanley Turrentine, Bennie Maupin, Bob Cranshaw, John Williams, Mickey Roker and Billy Cobham.
Other associations include touring or recording with Aretha Franklin, Sting, Spike Lee, James Brown, Billy Cobham, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Philip Glass, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Don Sebesky, Sadao Watanabe, Hubert Laws, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn and Terence Blanchard.