Stay In Tune
Levíček/Goncalves/Tengler (CZ/BRA)
Interest in the jazz tradition, exploring the principles of improvisation in their early forms, and discovering meaningful parallels with other musical genres brought together pianist and composer Jiří Levíček, Brazilian double bassist Luan Gonçalves, and drummer Jakub Tengler, leading to the formation of the trio Stay In Tune.
Founded in the summer of 2021, in the wake of the Covid period, the trio developed its musical language through a combination of original compositions and carefully crafted arrangements of jazz standards and a wide range of popular songs. Their interpretations blend a variety of genres, reflecting the members’ broad musical backgrounds. After studying at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) and spending eight years in the United States—where, alongside his studies, he won first prize at the Philips International Jazz Piano Competition and third prize at the Jacksonville International Piano Competition—Jiří Levíček returned to the Czech music scene in 2014. He first joined Robert Balzar’s trio, then became one of the surviving members of The Survivors, an ensemble with Jiří Slavík, and went on to work as a sideman in numerous other jazz projects, including Jazzdock Orchestra, Cyrille Oswald Q, and Luboš Soukup Q. He also performs with his wife, classical mezzo-soprano Chaazi Levíček. The two made their debut at the Prague Spring Festival in 2016. Teaching has also become an important part of his musical life: he teaches music theory at the jazz departments of JAMU and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU), at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory, and at NYU Prague. He composes and arranges music for orchestras, including MORANA and the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, and big bands such as Česko-americký sen, Jazzdock Orchestra, and CAO. He is also the composer of the musical Klapzubova jedenáctka for the Brno City Theatre (MdB).
A broad musical outlook is characteristic of all three members. Brazilian bassist Luan Gonçalves moved from São Paulo to the Czech Republic in 2013 to further his musical studies. He studied first at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Linz, then at HAMU in Prague, as well as musicology at Charles University. He works in contemporary classical music and jazz and is involved in numerous projects, including Prague Quiet Music Collective, Talaqpo, and Mušhuššu. Drummer Jakub Tengler’s similarly wide-ranging musical interests span original projects such as Noisy Pots and Undo Redo, electronic music in his project with Tomáš Dvořák, FLOEX, contemporary classical music with ensembles including Orchestr Berg and Ostravská banda, and classical orchestral music with the Moravian Philharmonic and the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra. The concert will also feature pieces from the album Happily Ragged, released by Bivak Records in October 2025.
Jiří Levíček - p; Luan Goncalves - b; Jakub Tengler - dr.
Admission seating CZK 470, standing CZK 270. There is no need to reserve a seat when purchasing a seating ticket. To reserve a specific seat, please write your request in the note when purchasing the ticket. Fulfillment of the request cannot be guaranteed.
Band website: www.jirilevicek.com
