Rita Ray, the Estonian soul artist, has been making waves since 2019, evolving from modest beginnings to a significant figure in the music scene. Her debut album "Old Love Will Rust" was introduced to a small audience of 200, but her second album "A Life Of Its Own," presented with a string orchestra in Tallinns largest concert hall to an audience of 2000, marked a significant milestone. Rita Rays musical exploration spans blue-eyed soul, classic R&B, and old-school disco. As a composer, her growing self-confidence is evident in the cinematic and symphonic direction of her second album. The debut album received four Estonian Music Award nominations, and the track "Disco Stu" gained notable attention on BBC 2. Rita Ray has also been recognized with the Young Jazz Talent Award in 2021. Her second album achieved significant success, with tracks like "Love Aint The Same" and "No Greater Love" receiving rotation on BBC and Jazz.fm. Released through Funk Embassy Records, the album surpassed 1 million streams on Spotify and earned multiple Estonian Music Awards, including "Song of the Year," "Album of the Year," and "Female Artist of the Year."

With the famous BIX Jazzclub, jazzopen stuttgart has a long-standing partner for intimate and high-quality jazz concerts. Whether up-and-coming talent or jazz star, the entire diversity of current jazz culture is presented here over nine days during the jazzopen festival.