Tickets can be purchased through the Entrio system for 5,00 EUR.
Admission is free for persons with disabilities, those over 65 years of age and children under 16.
The word impromptu usually describes a written piece of music that is meant to sound
improvised. With this project, Kristijan Krajnčan and Šimun Matišić flip the idea around: they
create spontaneous improvisations that sound almost like written compositions.
Both musicians come from a strong background in classical music and jazz. They are
award-winning virtuosos who have always been curious about composition, not just performance.
Matišić studied classical composition in Hamburg, while Krajnčan completed a degree in film
scoring in Amsterdam. This shared interest in structure and storytelling is what shapes their duo.
The music they make together can take many forms. At times it roars with heavy drum-like
grooves; at other times it reduces to a fragile dialogue between cello and vibraphone, colored by
subtle whistles, resonant overtones and prepared-instrument textures. Their playing is not bound
by genre. What matters is the moment itself, and the sound that grows out of it. With Matišić on
vibraphone and Krajnčan on cello, a disassembled drum set of cymbals, gongs, and percussion
sits between them, becoming an instrument they share. The result is often the illusion of a trio.
At its core, this project is about freedom and listening. Krajnčan & Matišić create music
that feels immediate, alive, and unrepeatable—yet strangely inevitable, as if it had always been
written down somewhere.
The concert is part of KONTEJNER’s concert programme cycle, co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and Media.
Kristijan Krajnčan (SI)
Kristijan Krajnčan is a versatile European artist, virtuoso drummer and cellist, composer, and filmmaker who combines different art forms, traditional storytelling, and contemporary creative approaches, earning numerous international awards and recognitions. He began his musical journey at an early age, playing the cello and drums, while also developing an interest in film. He graduated in jazz drums from the Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen in 2009 and earned a Master’s degree in Composing for Film from the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2013. Under his "DrummingCellist" project, he has released four albums: "DrummingCellist" (2017), "Abraxas" (2019), "Floating Sand" (2021), and "Zabučale Gore / The Mountains Roared" (2022), exploring the music of Bach and Arvo Pärt, world mythologies, big band sounds, and Slovenian folk music through contemporary classical and improvisational approaches. He has collaborated with numerous internationally acclaimed artists, performed in 25 countries, and contributed to 63 albums. As a composer, he has written music for ten short films and three feature films and is actively involved in theatre and dance projects.
Šimun Matišić (HR)
Šimun Matišić is a composer and percussionist active in numerous fields of musical life. His work spans classical and jazz music, composition for film and theatre, performance, concert organisation, and, in recent years, music education. His artistic practice brings together diverse musical styles, compositional work, and performance experience. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with numerous Croatian and international jazz and classical musicians and orchestras. In 2011, he received the Judita Award at the 57th Split Summer Festival for his performance with guitarist Christian Escoudé. Together with pianist Matija Dedić, he launched a duo project, releasing the live album "Fortune Smiles" in 2016. The album received a Porin Award for Best Performance of a Jazz Composition. In 2018, he released his original jazz album "Invocation" with his sextet, earning a Porin Award in the Best Jazz Composition category. He is also the recipient of three Status Awards presented by the Croatian Musicians’ Union (HGU). Matišić has received numerous prestigious music awards, including the Judita Award, the Josip Štolcer Slavenski Award, the Stjepan Šulek Award, the Status Awards, and the Porin Award. In 2025, he received the Boris Papandopulo Award, presented by the Croatian Composers’ Society (HDS), for his composition "Pet kratkih priča (Five Short Stories)", further highlighting the significance of his work as a composer. As a performer and arranger, he is a member of Harlequin Art Collective, an ensemble dedicated to interpreting works by Olivier Messiaen and Johann Sebastian Bach.
