Jazz in the Lapidarium in Poreč from July 5 to August 30
On Wednesday, July 5th, the Poreč Jazz Festival will once again take the stage at the newly renovated Lapidarium, offering a magnificent fusion of Croatian and Macedonian culture with the trio Hojsak & Novosel ft. Vlatko Stefanovski. This ensemble is a magnet for a wide audience, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience. Throughout July and August, jazz enthusiasts of all variations can expect eight more concerts every Wednesday at 9 p.m., with free admission.
The 28th Jazz in the Lapidarium (Jazz u lapidariju) will open in its grand and distinctive style with an exclusive concert on Wednesday, July 5th. Vlatko Stefanovski, a guitarist who successfully blends Macedonian melody, jazz, and rock, and performs his music worldwide, is a prominent musical figure in our region and always attracts a large audience. On the other hand, the duo Hojsak & Novosel, with their blend of double bass and tamburica, have Croatian tradition interwoven into their artistic expression and have been recognized as the most original Croatian cultural brand in the world. This will also be the only paid concert of the season, with a limited number of tickets available for purchase through the online reservation system of the Poreč Open University (rezervacije-poup.hr), at the University’s box office during working hours, and at the Lapidarium café.
The following Wednesday, July 12th, the Lapidarium will host the Croatian French Touch Accordion Trio, consisting of Elvis Stanić, Spartaco Črnjarić, and Darko Mihelić. These experienced musicians combine energetic and captivating music with a unique sound of accordion, guitar, and double bass. The trio takes the audience on a stroll through the streets of Paris, inviting them to embrace the Argentine tango, exploring South American sensuality, and indulging in the uninhibited joy of French life.
On July 19th, Leon Brenko Quartet will perform, featuring Leon Brenko on keyboards, Alen Spada on guitar, Bojan Skočilić on bass guitar and double bass, and Marko Lazarić on drums. Leon Brenko, a jazz musician from Istria, introduced his debut album to the Poreč audience two years ago, and this year at Jazz in the Lapidarium, he will have the opportunity to premiere his second album, “Keep on Moving.”
The following Wednesday, July 26th, the Croatian-Italian duo Questionin’ Answers will take the stage, featuring Croatian jazz vocalist Alba Nacinovich and Italian pianist Francesco De Luis. This duo was formed ten years ago with the aim of reevaluating the roles of their instruments. Drawing on jazz tradition and interplay as a musical foundation, but without genre prejudices, Questionin’ Answers will uncover musical landscapes with original compositions and works by G. Gershwin, C. Potter, L. Reed, and J. Brel.
In August, the program will kick off with the Croatian-Macedonian Balkan duo composed of two esteemed musicians, Zoran Majstorović and Vasko Atanasovski. These musicians with impressive international careers use their specific instrumentation to take listeners on a journey through world music. The combination of oud (Arabic lute) and guitar with flute, alto, and soprano saxophone creates sonorities that evoke musical traditions from various parts of the world. These two skillful improvisers also bring their own personal musical heritage to Poreč on Wednesday, August 2nd.
On the Wednesday after, August 9th, the Spice Melange ensemble, an international group of young musicians from the jazz academy in Trieste, will perform. They specialize in original music based on powerful energy and rhythm. Slovenian double bassist Vid Luka Narea, Brazilian drummer Fabricio Bertrami, and Croatian pianist Ivor Lakić blend hip-hop and soul with contemporary influences, metal, and samba, all connected through a modern jazz approach.
The Ivan Kapec 5tet, a quintet led by Zagreb guitarist and composer Ivan Kapec, will perform on August 16th. Ivan Kapec, along with his collaborators in the quintet, recorded the album “Crta” in 2020, which was well-received by both audiences and critics. The album explores the theme of erasing and forming boundaries between musical idioms and communicating with listeners. Kapec on baritone guitar, Mario Bočić on saxophone, Šimun Matišić on vibraphone, Hrvoje Kralj on double bass, and Borko Rupena on drums will perform compositions written specifically for this ensemble and the aforementioned album.
On August 23rd, the penultimate concert of the season will feature the trio QuRaTo, composed of Marco Quarantotta, Neven Radaković, and Miroslav Tovirc. This experimental trio focuses on exploring acoustic, electro-acoustic, and synthetic sound, abstract microexpressions, narratives, microdynamics, intuitive compositional relationships, and live improvisation. The discovery, departure from stylistic distinctiveness, reevaluation of their own musical experience and memory will unfold through drums, percussion, synthesizers, vocals, electric bass guitar, live electronics, and other instruments and objects.
The 28th Jazz in the Lapidarium festival will conclude on August 30th with a concert by the Filip Pavić Quartet. The quartet, led by award-winning guitarist Filip Pavić and featuring pianist Petar Ćulibrk, double bassist Zvonimir Šestak, and drummer Borko Rupena, will perform original music from Pavić’s first two albums, “Terra Incognita” from 2019 and “Labyrinth Songs” from 2022.
In its 28th year, Jazz in the Lapidarium reaffirms its status as a high-quality music festival that brings together diverse musicians and creative approaches under one umbrella – jazz. The festival is held under the patronage of the City of Poreč, the Poreč Tourist Board, the Ministry of Culture and Media, and Valamar.
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