Slapar/Hude/Golob/Bostič and FiveBras

The Slapar/Hude/Golob/Bostič quartet brings together former classmates of the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana, who continued their studies in Berlin, Basel and Vienna before reconnecting in Slovenia. Their repertoire combines original compositions by all members and jazz standards they arrange collectively. In 2025 they won first prize at the TEMSIG competition, further establishing themselves as one of the most prominent young Slovenian jazz ensembles. The guitarist Jure Slapar has performed in the prestigious FocusYear programme and collaborated with acclaimed musicians, such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kendrick Scott and Linda May Han Oh. The pianist Samo Hude is active as a soloist, composer and member of projects, such as the Nenad Vasilić Trio and the Igor Matković Quintet. The double bassist and cellist Gal Golob is a recipient of the Jazzon Composition Award and the Jazz Inkubator Award, and he is currently preparing two albums with his own ensembles. The drummer Gaj Bostič plays with several Slovenian and international groups and collaborates with prominent Slovenian musicians. The quartet builds its creativity on friendship, shared energy and openness to diverse musical influences.

FiveBrass Brass Quintet was founded in February 2024 by students at the Ljubljana Academy of Music: the trumpeters Amadej Štrajhar and Lovro Tavčar, the horn player David Tretjak, the trombonist Blaž Kozjek and the tubist Gašper Poprijan. Under the mentorship of Jure Gradišnik, they share a passion for chamber music and a commitment to promoting the brass repertoire in Slovenia and abroad. Individually, the quintet members are prize-winning soloists and regular collaborators with renowned orchestras, including the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Slovenian Armed Forces Band and the orchestras of the Slovenian National Theatre of Ljubljana and Maribor. In September 2024, they performed a series of concerts as part of the Ljubljana Jeunesses Musicales’ Autumn Serenades cycle, and the following year they won first prize, a gold plaque and a special award for their interpretation of Anders Hillborg’s quintet at the TEMSIG competition. In the 2025/2026 season, they will perform not only in the Young Virtuosi cycle, but also within the programme of Jeunesses Musicales Slovenia and at the international festival Imago Sloveniae. The quintet is increasingly establishing itself as one of Slovenia’s leading young brass ensembles.