ANA ČOP – Infinities
Ana Čop, vocal
Jaka Arh, saxophone
Marko Črnčec, piano
Robert Jukič, double bass
Žiga Smrdel, drums
»Night ends with day, day ends with night. Where does heaven, or music, or love end? Where do we look when we look at the infinity of the stars? «
Ana Čop has in recent years created quite a few of her projects, mostly as a performer and arranger. This time she presents original music composed in the past year. Ana’s creativity follows mainly the lyrical and poetic dimensions of classical and folk music and more modern forms of jazz.
She began her musical career as a classical pianist. During her studies of musicology, she started jazz singing lessons with professor Nada Žgur at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana. After completing two years, she enrolled at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, where she completed her undergraduate studies in jazz singing with renowned professor Deni DeRose in 2020. She currently lives in Switzerland, where she’s pursuing a master’s degree at the prestigious Jazzcampus Basel school. Ana regularly collaborates with various Slovenian and foreign musicians. She is most active with her original project ACTS!, which was created in collaboration with the German pianist Thil Seevers, and the Croatian-Slovenian ensemble Trokut. She presented both projects at this year’s jazz festival Snowdrops and Primroses in Cankarjev dom. Ana is the winner of the MM Jazz Festival (2018) and the mentor of the new category for beginners at the international Jazzinty workshops (2019).
Jaka Arh, a Slovenian saxophonist, completed his undergraduate studies in Graz, Austria, and then moved to Basel, Switzerland, where he is continuing his postgraduate studies. He learned from world-renowned musicians such as Julian Argüelles, Mark Turner, Ben Wendel, Domenic Landolf, and others. So far, he has performed and recorded with various well-established names of jazz from Slovenia and elsewhere (e.g. Matija Dedić, Ratko Divjak, Heinrich von Kalnein, Uli Rennert, etc.) He is currently a member of the Croatian-Slovenian electro jazz band Trokut. Its debut album Shapeless was this year nominated for the prestigious Croatian music award Porin in the category of Best Electronic Music Album.
Pianist Marko Črnčec is one of the most renowned contemporary Slovenian musicians, and he is also recognized abroad. He has collaborated with some of the most distinguished musicians of the world’s jazz scene such as Bob Mintzer, Seamus Blake, Eric Alexander, Michael Phillip Mossman, Ron McClure, Marcus Gilmore, and many others. His albums have received excellent international reviews, and album Devotion (Whirlwind Recordings, 2014) was ranked among the top twenty jazz records of 2014 by jazz magazine All About Jazz. Marko lived and worked in New York for several years. His latest album Place to live was also created there, in collaboration with world-famous musicians – Harish Raghavan, Justin Brown and Jonathan Hoard.
Bassist, arranger, composer, lyricist and producer Robert Jukič is one of the most versatile and prolific Slovenian artists. Music has taken him to various stages of the world, he has collaborated with a number of domestic and foreign artists. Over 60 albums have been released so far, on which he has participated as a bassist, composer or arranger. All musical influences are also manifested on his nine original CDs that include various types and styles of music – from jazz to classical, folk, blues, country, alternative pop, chanson and other world music. He composes for small and large ensembles, short films, multimedia and dance performances. He also collaborates with theatres, and teaches at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana. In 2008, he received the Jazzon Composition Award.
Žiga Smrdel is a young drummer from Ilirska Bistrica. His musical path began in his early teens with performances in various rock, funk and jazz ensembles, such as Kage, Postojna Jazz Ensemble and Big Band ŠCPO. In 2020, he graduated from the Regional Conservatory of Music in Klagenfurt, in the class of prof. Klemens Marktl. He is also a student of renowned New York drummer Gregory Hutchinson. He has collaborated with prominent names of the Slovenian popular music scene, such as Mia Žnidarič, Alenka Godec, Oto Pestner, and renowned jazz musicians such as Tonč Feinig, Robert Jukič, Matjaž Mikuletič, Marko Črnčec, and others. He has also performed extensively abroad, especially in Italy and Austria, as a member of the trio of Italian guitarist Nazzaren Zacconi, and in the trio of saxophonist Michael Erian. He and his brother Peter also run their own projects, such as the R&B and neo soul band called Wicked Nation, and a jazz quartet. In 2017, Žiga won a gold plaque in the jazz solo category at the TEMSIG Young Musicians Competition, and in 2019 in the chamber group-jazz category.
Admission free.
Due to the amendments to the decree on the temporary restriction of the cultural services, event may be attended only by persons with a certificate of: recovery of covid-19 (P), vaccination (C) or a negative test result, which must not be older than 48 hours (T). Entry to the event is only possible with a PCT certificate. Certificate is not required for children under the age of 15 who attend the event with close family members or guardians.
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