The event presents three distinctive Slovenian projects: Širom, Mrk, and Jure Pukl Analog AI, offering a broad musical panorama that moves between folk avant-garde, jazz fusion, contemporary jazz, and experimental sound.

Curated by Bogdan Benigar, the evening is organised in collaboration with the Slovenian Cultural Centre Berlin – SKICA and the Slovenian Music Information Centre – SIGIC, with the support of Music Slovenia. Taking place across Stadtgarten’s concert hall and JAKI, the programme highlights the openness, imagination, and stylistic diversity of the Slovenian scene.

The programme opens at 18:00 in the concert hall with Širom, the internationally acclaimed trio of Iztok Koren, Ana Kravanja, and Samo Kutin. Drawing on more than a dozen instruments and a wide range of musical forms, Širom create a singular sound world rooted in folk traditions, acoustic experimentation, and meditative intensity. Their latest album, In the Wind of Night, Hard - Fallen Incantations Whisper, released by Glitterbeat Records in 2025, has already received strong international recognition.

At 19:00, the programme continues at JAKI with Mrk, a project led by drummer Gaj Bostič. Bringing together jazz, fusion, and atmospheric sound exploration, Mrk plays with contrasts between light and darkness, energy and depth. The ensemble features Lenart de Bock on tenor saxophone, Jordi Roviro Husemann on trumpet, Matevž Počič on guitar, Jošt Lampret on bass, Gaj Bostič on drums, and Samo Hude on keyboards.

The evening concludes at 20:00 in the concert hall with Jure Pukl Analog AI, a contemporary jazz project led by internationally recognised Slovenian saxophonist Jure Pukl. The quartet featuring Kaja Draksler on piano and keyboards, Joe Sanders on bass, and Christian Lillinger on drums reflects on the rise of artificial intelligence while foregrounding the irreplaceable energy of live human performance, spontaneous interaction, and collective musical intuition.

Close-up Slovenia: Jazz & Beyond takes place on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at Stadtgarten Köln, with doors opening at 17:00 and the programme beginning at 18:00. Tickets are available via Stadtgarten’s ticketing platform.

More info HERE.

Širom photo credits: Nada Žgank