As part of their record promotion tour, the Nikolov-Ivanović Undectet ensemble will perform on Tuesday at the Philharmonic in Skopje.

According to a press statement from the Philharmonic, the eleven-piece ensemble, which includes pianists Vladimir Nikolov and drummer Srđan Ivanović, appears to be attempting to address the issue of how tradition and current, “good old” times and contemporary approach to music relate to each other.

“For this kind of experiment, the two musicians from the Balkans who have solid international careers are the best fit. Nikolov is well-known for his arrangements and compositions, often working with international orchestras and ensembles, whilst Ivanović is more involved in smaller ensembles. He is recognized by the audience as the frontman of the group Blazin’ Quartet, which performs the original idea to combine Balkan inspirations with contemporary European jazz. They are regarded as “among the most creative current large jazz ensembles in Europe” by the magazine JazzTimes. According to the press release, “The orchestra is made up of the finest young and middle-aged musicians from the Balkan region, combined with even younger forces from France to create a symbiotic modern jazz ensemble.”

Their third album, “Dystopia,” features nine original pieces that explore societal issues and protest-related themes. The album will be released in December 2023 in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia, and in 2024 worldwide. The first song, “Scream,” is now available on YouTube.