One of the most anticipated programs on the calendar, the Zagreb Jazz Festival returns for its 15th run this autumn. The lineup is every bit as brilliant as longtime attendees have come to demand, with a thrilling selection of international jazz stars ready to take the stage and wow the masses. Lizz Wright and the Roberto Fonseca Quartet got the ball rolling with thrilling concerts in the spring, setting a high bar for the ensembles heading here between September and December. Can they meet those standards? You better believe it.

Kicking off the autumn extravaganza is the Avram Fefer Quartet (September 28), the revolutionary woodwind master who has been breathing life and magic into the air for years. Fefer is a performer who wears many hats, from composer to educator, bandleader, improviser, and more, and these shows are always a hot ticket. Fefer is followed by the Cyrille Aimée Quartet (October 11), a vehicle for one of the most spellbinding voices in all of jazz today. The French-born singer has a voice that expertly straddles the line between tenderness and raw power, and this is sure to be a show that lives long in the memory.

Elsewhere, Anat Cohen Quartet (October 26) will thrill the crowds at Kino SC, while the Keyon Harrold Quintet will take to the stage at Mala Dvorana Lisinski on November 23. The sparkling cherry on top of the festival will be the Emmet Cohen Trio (December 18), as the Miami-born magician brings his spectacular take on jazz and artistic audio to Kino SC. Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time for these fabulous shows, because sell-outs are inevitable.

17. 9. Billy Cobham' Spectrum 50 Band
28.9. Avram Fefer Quartet, Mala dvorana Lisinski
11.10.  Cyrille Aimée Quartet, Kino SC
26.10. Anat Cohen Quartet,
30.10 Gregory Porter, Kino SC
23.11. Keyon Harrold Quintet, Mala dvorana Lisinski
18.12. Emmet Cohen Trio, Kino SC