The members of Central European Jazz Connection are leading figures of their countries' musical scene. KUBA STANKIEWICZ is one of the most tasteful pianist-composer in the jazz field of Poland. MATUS JAKABCIC both as a guitar player and composer is a determinant musician in the Slovak Republic. KORNÉL FEKETE-KOVÁCS trumpet player, composer-arranger, is one of the leader musicians in Hungary. TOMAS BAROS is one of the most engaging musicians in the Czech Republic.

The outstanding Polish pianist Kuba Stankiewicz appeared first on side of Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, before he became a member of the Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet in 1985. With them he recorded two albums and toured through North America. In 1987 he went to instrumental studies at the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated in 1990. His time in the States was marked by a cross-country tour with The Artie Shaw Orchestra. After his return to Poland he founded his own quartet. In addition, he played with Darek "Oles" Oleszkiewicz, Piotr Baron, Piotr Wojtasik and Cezary Konrad in the quintet Traveling Birds, recording two albums with them. He also appeared on stage and/or albums with Art Farmer (Art in Wroclaw), Scott Hamilton, Sheila Jordan and Harvie Swartz.

Hungarian jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger Kornél Fekete-Kovács graduated in 1998 from the Jazz Faculty of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, Hungary. As a trumpet player, he has been one of the busiest musicians in his homeland, and has been a featured solo artist or session musician on more than one hundred recordings. As an arranger, he is very strongly present in the contemporary, jazz and pop music scene in Hungary and Europe. In 1998 he was founding member of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra, and was its director until 2005. The same year he has founded Modern Art Orchestra, being its artistic director until the present day, as well the Kornél Fekete-Kovács Quintet. During his career, Fekete-Kovács played in renowned international bands such as the IASJ Big Band (Copenhagen), the EBU Big Band (Amsterdam-Budapest), Brande International Music Workshop Orchestra (Denmark), the UMO Jazz Orchestra (Finland), the Central European Jazz Connection, and the Finnish-Hungarian Jazz Workshop. Kornél Fekete-Kovács has played music together with Dave Liebman, Johnny Griffin, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Gary Willis, Wallace Roney, Julian Joseph, Herbie Mann, Marilyn Mazur, Kyle Gregory, Ray Anderson, Butch Lacy, Mario Gonzi and many more.

Slovak guitarist, composer and arranger Matúš Jakabčic has been leader of various own projects as Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band, Matúš Jakabčic Tentet, 13 Piece Swing and Latin band, Stop Time, Bee Connection, Madhouse, Matúš Jakabčic Quartet, EU Big Band, just to name a few. As composer, arranger and guitarist worked with numerous groups and orchestras like the Greg Hopkins Big Band, Euro Jazz Big Band, Central European Jazz Connection, European Jazz Youth Orchestra, Gustav Brom Big Band, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra among others and played with the lieks of Greg Hopkins, Harry Sokal, Gabriel Jonáš or Juraj Bartoš. He can be heard on more than 25 albums and has played at festivals all over Europe, in the USA, Algeria, Israel and Cuba. One of his most ambitious project is the Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band - their 3 CDs released so far consist mainly of his own compositions. 

Czech double bass player Tomáš Baroš ranks among the most sought-after double bass players not only in Czech Republic and in Slovakia but gets invitations from other foreign artists as Polish trumpeter Piotr Wojtasik, Austrian sax player Harry Sokal, Hungarian trumpeter and big band leader Kornél Fekete Kovács or the American trumpeter Ryan Carniaux. He collaborated with stars of the world jazz scene including Benny Golson, Rick Margitza, Antonio Farao, Gene Jackson, Vincent Herring, Dennis Rowland, Eric Allen, Deborah Davis, Joe Cohn, Paul Bollenback, John Betsch, Brian Charrette, Tony Lakatos, Kalman Olah, Igor Buttman, Douglas Sides, Osian Roberts, Benito Gonzales, Gábor Winand, Karen, Edwards and Peter Beets.

Czech double bass player Tomáš Baroš ranks among the most sought-after double bass players not only in Czech Republic and in Slovakia but gets invitations from other foreign artists as Polish trumpeter Piotr Wojtasik, Austrian sax player Harry Sokal, Hungarian trumpeter and big band leader Kornél Fekete Kovács or the American trumpeter Ryan Carniaux. He collaborated with stars of the world jazz scene including Benny Golson, Rick Margitza, Antonio Farao, Gene Jackson, Vincent Herring, Dennis Rowland, Eric Allen, Deborah Davis, Joe Cohn, Paul Bollenback, John Betsch, Brian Charrette, Tony Lakatos, Kalman Olah, Igor Buttman, Douglas Sides, Osian Roberts, Benito Gonzales, Gábor Winand, Karen, Edwards and Peter Beets.

The program is organised on behalf of the Public Foundation for Research on Central and Eastern European History and Society within the framework of the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrad Group 2017/2018.