Audiences at Nišville are in for something special, as one of the world's most acclaimed orchestras and a couple of extraordinary vocalists are set to perform what is sure to be an unforgettable contemporary take on the Gershwin classic Porgy and Bess, which is widely regarded as one of the finest musical achievements of the 20th century.

Founded in 1993, the Brussels Jazz Orchestra consistently ranks among the best in the world, and is especially known for deviating from the standard big band repertoire with an emphasis on original music, new compositions and inventive, passionate arrangements. Most recently they have gained further international acclaim and numerous awards for their work on the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning French film The Artist, which was scored with the help of conductor Frank Vaganée.

Singing the part of Bess will be the world-famous Portuguese jazz vocalist Maria Joao, whose remarkable voice and fantastic improvisational skills distinctively combines a mix of folk-music, modern jazz and avant-garde expressionism. In addition to collaborating with nearly every notably contemporary Portuguese musician, Joao has also performed and recorded with many notably international artists, such as Gilberto Gil, Bobby Mcferrin and Aki Takase.

Meanwhile, Belgian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Linx will performing the role of Porgy. In his nearly three decades on the international jazz scene, he has recorded ten studio albums, and received the lofty title 'Knight of Culture' from the Ministry of Culture of France. In recent years he has worked with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra on several projects.