OTTO HEJNIC TRIO (USA/CZ)

Alan Bartuš One of the finest jazz pianists of the youngest generation. Originally from Slovakia, he moved to Vienna with his family at the age of 12. At the age of 22, he began studying at one of the world’s finest jazz schools, the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He has now completed his second year and is beginning to perform with jazz greats – Jerry Bergonzi, Jeff Tain Wats, Bob Hurts and others – and plays in New York jazz clubs as well as on major stages such as the Lincoln Centre in New York City. He was a semi-finalist at the prestigious Herbie Hancock International Piano Competition in New York. Competition winner: Ö1 Jazz Prize winner, Grand Maestro International Music Competition 1st place, Langnau International Piano Competition. He has released two studio albums of his own. Otto Hejnic An outstanding Czech drummer who, thanks to his versatility, is a highly sought-after musician. A graduate of the Prague Conservatoire – drums and piano. At the age of 22, he was awarded a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has released nine albums of his own compositions. He recorded his penultimate album in New York in 2024 with renowned artists, including Brian Charette on Hammond organ (Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel) and guitarist Peter Bernstein (ranked in the world’s top three for jazz guitar). His latest album, “Collector”, featuring Brian Charette and Osian Roberts, was released at the end of 2025. Neal “Sugar” Caine For over two decades, Neal has been one of the most respected double bassists on the New York jazz scene. He spent three years with Elvin Jones’s Jazz Machine – Jones being the drummer for the legendary John Coltrane – followed by a year in Diana Krall’s trio and a year in the final trio of the legendary Betty Carter. Since 2000, he has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with the outstanding singer Harry Connick Jr., who is also a well-known Hollywood actor, with whom he won a Grammy for the album *Songs I Heard*. He has also collaborated with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Samara Joy and other leading figures in American jazz and pop. He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden and the Sydney Opera House.