Viva Musica! festival has announced more names for its 20th annual event:
the brilliant Nina Kohout, and Jureš Líška with Fallgrapp and chamber orchestra

Bratislava, 14. 5. 2024

Popri veľkých zahraničných hviezdach dramaturgia festivalu Viva Musica! nezabúda ani na domácu scéAlongside major stars from abroad, Viva Musica! never neglects the domestic scene in its dramaturgy. The current year’s event will present two impressive artistic talents from home. Jureš Líška and his Fallgrapp ensemble, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, will perform in the festival’s opening concert. A separate concert will be presented by the outstanding young singer and composer Nina Kohout.

Originally it was a solo project by the musician and producer Jureš Líška, but by now it is a numerous ensemble. Fallgrapp’s music creates a captivating combination of electronics with acoustic instruments, strings, and the vocals of singer Nora Ibsenová. Layered arrangements, links with other forms of art, interesting collaborations, emphasis on the visual, and an inimitable atmosphere at concerts: this is the combination that gives Fallgrapp its place among the most notable artistic projects in Slovakia. “It is somewhat symbolic, given that ten years have elapsed since the release of our first album. At Viva Musica! we want to show the greatest possible cross-section of our work. In combination with the chamber orchetra there will be a fuller sound, but we also want to show that our songs can function beautifully, even if only in a minimal space,” Jureš Líška stated.

The ensemble has to its credit three studio albums (Rieka (River, 2014), V hmle (In the Mist, 2017) and Ostrov (Island, 2020)) and a number of awards, including Radio-Head Award and Tatra Bank Foundation Prize for Art (for Jureš Líška’s original music to the ballet miniature BezsLovE for the Slovak National Theatre). Besides a selection of the best from the ensemble’s work, there will be tracks from a new album in preparation, whose release is planned for the autumn of this year. Fallgrapp consists of Jureš Líška (viola & electronics), Nora Ibsenová (vocals), Jakub Líška (violin), Jakub Kačic (guitar), Lukáš Mutňanský (bass guitar), Tomáš Hríbik (drums), Róbert Rehák (percussion) and Kristína Smetanová (piano), with accompaniment by Spectrum Orchestra conducted by the violinist Ján Kružliak Jr., who is one of the most sought-after Slovak musicians, thanks to his flexibility and universal musical range. Music enthusiasts may know him from a variety of projects and collaborations. At last year’s Viva Musica! festival he appeared with the string quartet Spectrum Quartett in collaboration with the folk ensemble Nogaband, and also in a joint concert entitled One Music with Solamente naturali from Slovakia and Barokksolistene from Norway.

The opening concert, entitled Viva Fallgrapp!, will be held on Thursday July 4 at 20:00 in The Old Market Hall, where the festival is returning after a three-year interval.

Also linked with Fallgrapp is a further performer in the landmark 20th annual Viva Musica! festival. The talented young musician Nina Kohout first came to public attention in the Geisha track from Fallgrapp’s second studio album (V hmle), where apart from contributing vocals she was also a co-author. Nina is one of the most impressive phenomena on the contemporary Slovak scene. She completed her studies at The BRIT School, a prestigious London academy also attended by Adele and Amy Winehouse, and in 2020 she won the title Discovery of the Year in Radio_Head Awards. Two years later she issued her debut EP Pandemonium, which met with excellent responses both at home and abroad, including on BBC Radio.

Her music combines mystic shades of old Slovak folklore with classical and electronic music, thereby creating her own timeless, sometimes uncomfortably singular and anarchistic musical world, pushing outwards the limits of musical “conformity”. “For the first time in more than a year I will be standing onstage surrounded by strings, and together we will create the kind of musical world that was my vision when I composed my pieces. Apart from my debut album EP Pandemonium, there will also be tracks from an album in preparation, the first time ever in the given line-up,” Nina says, describing her concert, which takes its title from one of her songs: Little Butterfly. She will be accompanied onstage by Peter Kohout (bass clarinet), Michal Pagáč (violin), Dominik Tuchyňa (violin), Jana Mária Gabčová (violin), Nikola Adamcová (cello) and Daniel Pastorek (double bass).

The concert will be held on Thursday July 18 at 20:30 at The Square at Eurovea. Admission will be free.

The international music festival Viva Musica! began in 2005 and this year celebrates its 20th birthday. From July 4 to August 15, 2024 it will present 13 concerts in various places in Bratislava. Once again, the much-loved concerts in city gardens and parks will be part of the festival: these have the subtitle Musical Gardens, evoking the festival’s first annual event, which was held under the title of Bratislava Musical Gardens. The festival plans to announce further concerts gradually.

Tickets are available at www.vivamusica.sk and at Ticketportal.
The Festival has been supported from public funds by the Slovak Arts Council.