SWINGATAN (Slovenia)

Peter Ugrin, violin
Marko Čepak, guitar
Marko Mozetič, guitar
Zmago Štih, accordion
Nikola Matošić, double bass

A project by internationally renowned Slovenian jazzists, exploring a variety of genres from gypsy jazz, swing and bossa nova to classical etudes.

Swingatan is an acoustic quintet comprising of a violin, two guitars, a piano accordion, and double bass. The ensemble plays original music similar to swing and bossa nova characteristic of the 1930s and 40s, and gipsy jazz standards modelled on the violin and guitar of Stéphane Grapelli and Django Reinhardt with the special addition of accordion. Their repertoire ranges from ballads and classical etudes to virtuosic themes, and is characterised by an unyielding gypsy rhythm’n’drive. All the band members are renowned jazz and classical musicians, active in Slovenia and abroad. Swingtan is their long-term project. This year, they are launching their first-ever album, which they will present at the concert.

Peter Ugrin performs in various chamber ensembles of classical music (Guud Quartet, String Quartet, Quintet). In 2014 and 2016, he performed the works of the Russian composer Sergey Lunev in Slovenia and Russia. He teaches viola at KGBL Ljubljana, and in the field of improvisation, he is a professor of jazz violin at the Ljubljana Academy. He is the leader, composer and violinist in the band Artbeaters, with which he won first prize at the 6th International Jazz Competition in Bucharest. At the 2013 Jazzinty Festival and workshop, he won all three awards: for best group (Artbeaters), best performance and best original composition. He is a conductor of the Big Band Gverillaz, with which he performs at local and international festivals.

Marko Čepak – Maki has a master’s degree in jazz guitar from the Giuseppe Tartini Conservatory in Trieste and is currently working on a PhD. He regularly performs on international stages with two American guitarists, John Stowell and Russ Spiegel. He is also a member of an international band with the renowned American jazz singer Rachel Gould, the only living singer who has collaborated with the legendary trumpeter Chet Baker. In the last 10 years, he has participated in many projects and recordings, where he collaborated with jazz musicians from Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria. He is a member of the band Artbeaters, with whom he performs in Slovenia and elsewhere in Europe.

Marko Mozetič – Mozo studied guitar at the Klagenfurt Conservatory and composition and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He actively collaborates with renowned musicians and writes music for established performers and various bands, such as: Iva Stanič, Eva Hren, Big band RTV Slovenija, SunBeatzz, Steve Mead, Denis Novato, etc. He has published two collections for classical guitar, “Guitar amuses me”.

Zmago Štih first studied the accordion at SGBŠ Ljubljana in the class of Erno Sebastian. He later continued his studies in Germany at the Franz Liszt College of Music in the class of Ivan Koval. He participates both in various chamber ensembles and as a soloist. He is a multiple award-winner at various national and international competitions. He is employed as an accordion teacher at the Fran Korun Music School in Koželjski Velenje.

Nikola Matošič has for many years been one of the best Slovenian double bass players, striving to revive, preserve and modernize the Slovenian jazz scene. He has collaborated and performed with world-famous jazz musicians such as: Deborah Brown, Rachel Gould, Aaron Goldberg, Doug Hammond, Howard Curtis, Doug Sides, Alan Praskin, Herb Geller, Don Menza and Peter Mihelič. He also works as an accompanying member in many Slovenian jazz bands. In 2013, he performed at Nordsee Jazz Festival, one of the most prestigious jazz festivals in the world, with jazz icon Doug Hammond.

Admission free.