Roberto Magris, pianist from Trieste, was already a bridge builder between musicians from East and West during the time of the “Iron Curtain”. It was in this spirit that he founded the Europlane Orchestra in 1998 to integrate musicians from Eastern and Western Europe. With the accession of the last countries to the EU, this mission was actually accomplished. In a smaller form, however, the Roberto Magris Europlane continued to exist, the next big turning point in the concert activity was the pandemic.
Quote Roberto Magris: “Then the Ukraine war started and I noticed a growing physical, intellectual and emotional separation between people, even among the artists. This situation has also led in my own world to the destruction of bridges of cooperation and friendship that I had built in my musical life with strength and determination. During this long “silence” I have always kept the plan to restart in the spring of the psyche with a new creative and spiritual energy. When I had to create a name for this new project, I had no doubt: now is the time for EUROPLANE FOR JAZZ. At the end of the pandemic, with the aggravating effects of war, we must put ourselves at the service of a prosperous future of the arts, music, jazz, peace, love, and generally create a spirit for a better future.”
The “Europlane for Jazz” takes off with: Roberto Magris, highly esteemed pianist, composer and bandleader with a 40-year career in the USA and Europe; Lukáš Oravec, Slovak trumpeter, composer and jazz producer; Tony Lakatos, Hungarian top-level saxophonist; Florian Bramböck, Austrian saxophonist, lecturer and composer; Rudi Engel from Germany, one of the most renowned bassists on the European jazz scene; Gašper Bertoncelj, internationally acclaimed drummer from Slovenia, with ability to groove and swing hard, together with melodic playing of the drums.
Contributors
Roberto Magris: piano (I)
Florian Bramböck: baritone sax (A)
Tony Lakatos: tenor & soprano sax (H)
Lukáš Oravec: trumpet & flugelhorn (SK)
Rudi Engel: bass (D)
Gašper Bertoncelj: drums (SLO)
Jazzfreunde Bad Ischl (responsible for the project)
SeeTonWellen Festival Altmünster, Anna Lang, JIM – Anton Bruckner Private University, regional musicians, Landesmusikschule Bad Goisern, Radio Jazz Research, ORF/Ö1 (recording)
Christian Haselmayr (Head of Programme Music, Youth, Community Building)
