Brda Contemporary Music Festival
Under the artistic direction of Zlatko Kaučič, the festival’s founder and a world-renowned drummer and percussionist from the Brda region, the Brda Festival of Creative and Improvised Music has, since 2011, been dedicated to presenting and promoting niche jazz expressions and practices of free improvisation. For many years held in the picturesque medieval village of Šmartno, and more recently in Medana, the festival hosts numerous acclaimed musicians from around the world each year. According to the organisers, its mission is to foster cross-border collaboration in the Brda, Goriška, and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, intertwining Slovenian, Friulian, and Italian cultures, and above all to place the Brda region on the map of global jazz destinations. Each year, the festival also features a central guest who leads a music workshop for young musicians.
The list of guests includes eminent figures such as English vocalist Phil Minton, British saxophonist Evan Parker, Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, French double bassist Joëlle Léandre, American drummer and percussionist Gerry Hemingway, Norwegian saxophonist Frode Gjerstad, Czech cellist, vocalist, and composer Iva Bittová, German trombonist Johannes Bauer, American cellist Tristan Honsinger, and Danish saxophonist Mette Rasmussen. At the same time, there is hardly a Slovenian jazz musician of note who has not performed in Šmartno or Medana. Alongside Jazz Cerkno, it is one of the few festivals of this kind in the region that offers young participants more than just musical training. Its primary value lies in connection and exchange, which is why already in its first year the Orchestra Without Borders (Orkester brez meja / Orchestra Senza Confini) was formed, bringing together Italian and Slovenian musicians, who have since also recorded an album.
In 2023, Kaučič handed over the leadership of the festival to a younger generation of drummers from his Kombo school, led by Tomi Novak, who now also serves as president of the cultural association KUD Zvočni izviri. The 13th edition of the festival returned to its venue in Medana—in the old cooperative hall, formerly a cinema, where Kaučič as a child dreamed of escaping into the wider world through Hollywood films. The 14th edition, dedicated to the festival’s long-time friend Mauro Bardusco, also took place in Medana. The rejuvenated festival team continues to uphold its mission as a platform for contemporary creative music and other artistic expressions, ranging from visual arts and experimental video to poetry.
Unfortunately, the local population still does not fully recognise the broader significance of this small Brda festival, which regularly hosts some of the most prominent names in global jazz from major European concert halls. It is true that the programme often features performances that require a certain degree of patience and curiosity from the audience; nevertheless, in the future it would be encouraging to see new, inquisitive faces among the festival visitors, driven by a desire to explore different forms of music.
Avtor: Jaša Bužinel
Kraj: Medana