SANIX band

Japan – Bulgaria
Bansko Jazz Festival 2026 presents a unique international collaboration that connects two distant cultures through the universal language of music. SANIX BAND – Japan–Bulgaria is the result of a creative partnership between Bulgarian jazz vocalist Nadia Toncheva and a group of outstanding Japanese musicians led by guitarist and composer Yuichi Ishikawa.
The idea for the project was born in 2025 when Nadia Toncheva performed in Fukuoka, Japan. Her encounter with local musicians sparked a new artistic collaboration that now continues on the stage of Bansko Jazz Festival.
At the heart of the programme is the original music of Yuichi Ishikawa, a talented guitarist educated at the Los Angeles Music Academy who has performed with leading international jazz artists. He is joined by bassist and composer Tomotaka Sekiya, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and leader of the acclaimed Japanese band Kurofune, as well as trumpeter Misato Kubo, one of the most promising representatives of Japan’s younger jazz generation.
Representing Bulgaria are vocalist, pianist, arranger and producer Nadia Toncheva, pianist Pavel Tsonev, and drummer Emil Tasev, musicians with active careers on both the Bulgarian and international jazz scenes.
The repertoire combines original compositions by Yuichi Ishikawa, jazz interpretations of traditional Japanese melodies and timeless jazz standards. The result is a fascinating dialogue between Japan and Bulgaria, demonstrating how jazz continues to connect cultures, traditions and people across borders.