Simon Trpčeski , piano
Aleksandar Krapovski, violin
Alexander Somov, cello
Hidan Mamudov, clarinet
Vlatko Nushev, percussion
Makedonissimo’, meaning ‘very Macedonian’, sees pianist Simon Trpčeski take a detour from Beethoven and Brahms to celebrate the music of his homeland. Simon Trpčeski takes listeners on a joyous tour through the incredible rhythms and haunting melodies of the Macedonian folk music tradition in which highly intricate, jazz-influenced riffs and harmonies are seamlessly interwoven. Inspired by Simon Trpčeski’s passion for the folk traditions of his homeland, Macedonian composer Pande Shahov (b. 1973) created a six movement cycle he called Pletenki (Plaits). In these arrangements Shahov merges his own sound world – one which is influenced by impressionist attitudes to resonance and jazz harmony – with Macedonia’s traditional music. This project had its world premiere in 2017 at the Ludwigsburg Festival, Germany and went on to wow audiences in the UK Slovenia, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Serbia, Canada, and South Korea. Pande Shahov and Simon Trpceski have also produced Concerto Makedonissimo, a version with orchestra, which was premiered with Tonkünstler-Orchester under Yutaka Sado, at the Musikverein in Vienna in March 2023.
