Top jazz musicians will take over Dubrovnik’s Lazareti this weekend, as the Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak Festival returns for the fourth time from November 15 to 17, 2024! The festival is organized by Dubrovnik Heritage Ltd., with support from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.
A special highlight is the recent signing of a cooperation memorandum between Dubrovnik's Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepšić and Colleen Bailey, Director of the world’s longest-running jazz festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival. This partnership between the Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak and the Monterey Jazz Festival opens doors for musician exchange and new initiatives, providing a further boost and support to our festival.
The Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak 2024 festival will open with the Borna Pehar Quartet, promoting their album Timezone on November 15 at 8 p.m. This young jazz musician began his music education in his hometown of Zadar (Blagoje Bersa Music School), studied jazz piano at the Music Conservatory in Klagenfurt, and completed his master’s at the University of Music and Art in Vienna. Pehar’s debut album, featuring nine instrumental compositions, is a celebration of cultural diversity and takes listeners on a journey through boundless soundscapes. He will be joined by saxophonist Joander Cruz, Ronald Racz on bass guitar, and Peđa Milutinović on drums.
The second night of the Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak 2024 festival (November 16 at 8 p.m.) will feature Dubrovnik-born pianist Petar Ćulibrk, currently based in Zagreb, presenting his new album Sail Away. As a natural progression from his debut Old School, this album reflects his personal growth through stylistically and emotionally varied compositions, challenging his comfort zone. One critic described it as “The new album from the most exciting pianist you can hear today.”
On the same night, at 9 p.m., award-winning Dubrovnik jazz singer and composer Maja Grgić will perform with her quartet. For this occasion, her ensemble, NIM/Maja Grgić Quartet, will feature Maja Grgić on vocals, Krunoslav Levačić on drums, Zvonimir Šestak on double bass, and Hrvoje Galler on piano. They’ll be promoting the album NIM NOW, jointly created by NIM / Maja Grgić Novaković and Mateo Martinović. The album includes nine original songs and three covers, delighting vocal jazz enthusiasts.
On the final night of the festival, Sunday, November 17 at 8 p.m., the Dubrovnik audience will be introduced to Marko Churnchetz, one of the most prominent contemporary Slovenian musicians—a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and producer. Churnchetz has been a member of the band of renowned American jazz guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg for four years, touring worldwide. With his new trio, featuring acclaimed musicians Josh Ginsburg and Kristijan Krajnčan, Churnchetz will present his new CD Without Words at the Dubrovnik Jazz Outbreak 2024 festival.
As part of the accompanying program, students from the painting department of the Luka Sorkočević Art School will exhibit their jazz-themed posters.
PROGRAM
- Friday, November 15
- 8:00 p.m. Borna Pehar Quartet – Album Promotion Timezone
- Saturday, November 16
- 8:00 p.m. Petar Ćulibrk – World’s Okayest Pianist – Album Promotion Sail Away
- 9:00 p.m. Maja Grgić NIM Quartet – Album Promotion NIM Now
- Sunday, November 17
- 8:00 p.m. Marko Churnchetz Trio – Album Promotion Without Words
Accompanying Program:
- Exhibition Jazz Posters by students from the painting department of the Luka Sorkočević Art School
Everyone is welcome!
