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| Matus Jakabcic, guitarist, composer, arranger, educator; born Bratislava, Slovakia, September 14, 1961. His parents Viera Zilincanova and Michal Jakabcic both are/were internationally acclaimed painters. Matus started playing guitar at the age of 15. He studied mathematics and computer science at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, graduating in 1984. He studied composition (classical) at the State Conservatory in Bratislava, Slovakia, and graduated in 1992. 1994 - 1995 he studied at the Berklee College of Music, Boston where he received several scholarships and awards - i.e. the Charles Mingus award for achievements in jazz composition. Studying with Herb Pomeroy, Greg Hopkins, Ken Pullig, Jon Damian, amo, he graduated in Jazz Composition in 1995. During his studies in Boston he got the opportunity to arrange for the Greg Hopkins Big Band. Since September 1995 he has been teaching jazz composition, arranging, harmony, and leading the Conservatory Big Band at the State Conservatory in Bratislava. Jakabcic was the leader of a modern jazz/fusion group "Stop Time" with which he played at festivals all over Europe, Algiers and Cuba. In 1988 Stop Time won the first prize at the International Jazz Festival in Karlovy Vary in Czech. In 1990 "Opus", a Slovakian record label released their album "Stop Time". The group can also be heard on the CD "Slovak Jazz 1992". In 1991 Matus recorded a CD with one of Europe’s finest pianists Gabriel Jonas entitled "Far and Yet Near" for the Czech record label "Arta". In 1993 he got the prize of the Slovak Music Found as Jazzman of the year. In 1986-1991 he worked for the TV-orchestra in Bratislava, Slovakia as guitarist/composer/arranger. He performed with many outstanding Slovak groups including the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1993 he composed, arranged and conducted the music for the musical "To Die For Beauty" by Abbe Prevost. He is also a member of the Gustav Brom Big Band. For their latest two CDs he arranged 11 tunes. He has also written music for three movies. With the "Matus Jakabcic Tentet" he performed at the Jazz Festival Bratislava 1995, as well as at the Bratislava Music Festival in October 1996 (with special guest Greg Hopkins). A CD of the Tentet with G. Hopkins was released in April 1998. From 1996 until now he has occasionally performed in Duo with the Austrian trombone player Markus Eckl. In 1999 he led an international big band consisting of players from all over Europe; the band was put together especially for the “Days of Europe” Festival in Bratislava and played his music and arrangements. The concert was broadcast on TV and radio several times. Lately he has been presenting his music with his band BEE CONNECTION CD – “Bee Connection” (released 2000) and on the solo CD of our premier bass player Juraj Griglak “Bass Friends” (released 2001). In 2001 a CD of the trio “Madhouse” (Jakabcic/Griglak/Valihora) as well as a live CD with Gabriel Jonas was released. In 2000 he was commissioned to write an extended piece for the European Jazz Youth Orchestra that later appeared on their CD “Swinging Europe vol.3”. Since its beginning, Jakabcic has been a member/composer for the Euro Jazz Big Band (EJBB), based in Paris and led by Thierry de Micheaux and Sophie Uvodic. The band has recorded 2 CD´s: “EJBB Live “(1998) and “Beyond Borders” (2002). In February 2002 he took part at “6 Culture”, a concert/recording of the group “Central European Jazz Connection” (CEJC) at the Radio Warsaw, where each country provided one player/composer. In March 2002 he recorded his new compositions with his Quartet for the Slovak Radio Bratislava. In April 2002 he played a concert /recording in the ORF – radio Vienna with a special for this occasion built group consisting of 2 Austrian (S.Finkel, R. Filz) and 2 Slovak (G. Jonas, M. Jakabcic) musicians. Matus is also a member of the group “Bassfriends”, led by the premier Slovak bassist Juraj Griglak. In October and November 2003 Matus Jakabcic Quartet performed his compositions in London, UK and Dublin, Ireland at International Conferences where Slovakia as an entering country to the European Union was presented. In November 2003 he performed in duo with Gabriel Jonas at the “Jazzycolors” festival in Paris. In December 2003 the duo Juraj Bartos/Matus Jakabcic represented Slovakia at the “Festival Jazz Mitteleuropeo” in Rome, Italy. They both also performed with “CEJC” at the same festival. On May 1, 2004, Matus Jakabcic Quartet played 2 concerts in Cork, Ireland as part of the celebration of Slovakia entering European Union. In May 2004 he took part at the “Central European Jazz Festival” in Tel Aviv, performing with the “CEJC” as well as in duo with the Austrian sax player Sigi Finkel. In June 2004 he performed with the “CEJC” at the “Montmartre Festival” in Paris and Nancy, France. In October 2004 “CEJC” performed at the “Bratislava Jazz Days”. In October 2004 Matus formed the “Matus Jakabcic CZ-SK Big Band”. Since then the band has played at festivals in Prerov, Brno, Hradec Kralove (Czech rep.), Kosice, Bratislava (Slovakia). In May 2005 Matus was invited by the “Budapest Jazz Orchestra” to play a concert in Budapest consisting of his original compositions and arrangements. In September 2005 he played concerts in “Blue Note” jazz club in Milano as well a concert in Florence with the “Lubos Sramek and his 5 Reasons” group. In January 2006 he played with the “Stepan Markovic Saxtet” a concert for the Czech president Vaclav Klaus. 3 of his compositions specially arranged for this occasion were part of the program. The concert was recorded and broadcast by the Czech radio; a live CD of the concert has been released in October 2006. In April 2006 a CD “Swing & Latin” of the singer R. Opatovsky was released; Matus was the producer and arranger of the CD and also played the guitar parts. July 2006: played at the ”Summer jazz Festival Warsawa” with “Lubos Sramek & His 5 Reasons“ and “Bass Friends”. In October 2006 upon a request by the director of the “Arena” theatre in Bratislava he started a series of jazz concerts in this theatre. The series of concerts – 1 each month – is still going on, being very successful. In November 2006 “Matus Jakabcic CZ-SK Big Band” with guest soloist Harry Sokal played a concert at Austrian radio which was broadcast all over the world. In October 2007 Austrian radio (ORF) released a CD “Matus Jakabcic CZ-SK Big Band featuring Harry Sokal”. Since April 2008 Matus has been a member of the “ East European Artsamble“ with which he has played at the “Jazz Fest” and “Jazz Goes To Town” festivals in Brno and Hradec Kralove as well as concerts in Brno and Arena Theatre in Bratislava. In September the band recorded a CD which will be released by Music Centre Slovakia by the end of this year. In 2008 “Matus Jakabcic CZ-SK Big Band” performed at jazz festivals in Martin, Trencin and Zillina, Slovakia as well as the “Bohemia Jazz Festival” in Prague, Ceske Budejovice and Domazlice, at the „CZ-SK Jazz Weekend“in Hodonin and Uherske Hradiste and at the “25.Czechoslovak Jazz festival” in Prerov, all in Czech Republic. In October Matus‘s big band played a concert for the Czech president Vaclav Klaus at the Prague castle. |
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