Hadzimanov and Zulfikarpasic on Ekata Festival's Second Night
On day two of the first Ekata Festival near Krnjevo, the piano duo of Vasil Hadzimanov and Bojan Zulfikarpasic plays the amphitheatre of a brutalist complex, blending originals, jazz and Balkan heritage.
- The first Ekata Festival runs from June 3 to 7, 2026, at the Ekata Estate complex in Krnjevo, near Smederevska Palanka.
- On Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m., pianists Vasil Hadzimanov and Bojan Zulfikarpasic play the amphitheatre.
- The duo blends original compositions, fresh interpretations, jazz and Balkan heritage.
- The festival opened with an exhibition on Gorgona and a concert by the Belgrade Jazz Orchestra.
There is a moment before two pianos speak together when the concrete shell of an amphitheatre seems to hold its breath. On the second night of the inaugural Ekata Festival near Krnjevo, that moment belongs to two pianists who have spent years turning every performance into a conversation rather than a recital.
Vasil Hadzimanov and Bojan Zulfikarpasic play on Friday, June 5, at 8 p.m., in the amphitheatre set within the brutalist complex of the Ekata Estate. The programme promises a mix of original compositions and new interpretations, where jazz leans into Balkan heritage and the rhythms both men carry from their earlier projects finally have room to meet.
Why a piano duo in the open air
Placing two pianists face to face in an open-air amphitheatre is not only a matter of logistics. The piano duo is a form that allows no hiding, every pause and every handover of a theme can be heard with the naked ear. Hadzimanov comes from a world where Macedonian and Serbian folklore intertwine with modern jazz, while Zulfikarpasic, long established on the French scene, brings his own feel for colour and silence.
When those two sensibilities meet on a concrete stage, the result is not a contest but an act of listening. The festival has placed this evening at the heart of its music programme, halfway between a concert and an improvised dialogue.
- Vasil Hadzimanov, a pianist known for fusing jazz with Balkan rhythms
- Bojan Zulfikarpasic, a pianist with a long career on the European jazz scene
- Start time 8 p.m., in the amphitheatre of the Ekata Estate complex
What Ekata Festival is and what has already happened
The first edition runs from June 3 to 7, 2026, and the estate lies about an hour from Belgrade. The opening on June 3 went to an exhibition devoted to the Gorgona group, tied to the name of Radomir Damnjanovic Damnjan, alongside a concert by the Belgrade Jazz Orchestra.
The weight of that artistic frame is best described by art historian Jerko Jesa Denegri.
Gorgona represents one of the key chapters of art from the former Yugoslav space.
The pairing of a conceptual art tradition with live music gives the festival a profile that goes beyond summer entertainment. Hadzimanov and Zulfikarpasic step into that frame as its musical high point, not as a mere line on the schedule.
Will a piano dialogue inside a concrete amphitheatre become the signature of this young festival?
