Mathei Florea ja New Grounds

Tue, 1 December at 19 Jõhvi Concert Hall
Wed, 2 December at 19 Vanemuine Concert Hall
Thu, 3 December at 19 Estonia Concert Hall
Mathei Florea and New Grounds

Mathei Florea (piano, composition)
Aleksandra Błachno-Kulig (violin, vocals)
Alvise Carli (violin)
Philine Höhnisch (viola)
Kornelia Jamborowicz (cello)
Dmytro Bondarev (trumpet)
Christian Müller (double bass)
Johannes Metzger (drums)

Based in Berlin, Mathei Florea New Grounds is an eight-piece ensemble performing Nordic contemporary jazz. Defying geographical boundaries, they were named Jazz Ensemble of the Year at the 2025 Estonian Jazz Awards. The combination of a classic jazz quartet and a string section is a well-loved format that seamlessly merges modern jazz with classical sensibilities. Led by the gifted young pianist Mathei Florea, the group’s sound—influenced by the music of Petros Klampanis and Arvo Pärt—features on their debut album "Snap" (2024) and their upcoming second studio release due in late 2026.

Mathei Florea is a young Estonian jazz pianist who studied under Kristjan Randalu at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre before continuing his education at Skurup folkhögskola in Sweden. He holds a degree from the Jazz Institute Berlin. In recent years, he has been involved in various projects and collaborated with numerous artists and ensembles, including Foyl Aka, Flow Rea, and the New Wind Jazz Orchestra.

Above all, this music is beautiful—in the traditional sense of European classical aesthetics. The sound is sublime and inventively atmospheric, with jazz rhythms weaving naturally into the whole.
– Jazzthetik

Florea and New Grounds cultivate a genre they describe as Nordic jazz. This style is frequently performed by reflective Scandinavian veterans, typically in a trio format. Although the music of New Grounds is considerably more lush and sonically dense than the traditional understanding of Nordic jazz, it remains deeply rooted in nature. This connection is evident in pieces such as "Metsatee", "Liblikas", and a composition dedicated to the Estonian Midsummer. The most moving moment arrived with the final piece, inspired by Konstantin Türnpu's cherished song "Meil aiaäärne tänavas". The vocal part was performed by Aleksandra Błachno-Kulig. Initially, it seemed as though she were singing in a beautiful, unknown elven language composed mainly of vowels. Gradually, the words began to clarify. Every Estonian in the hall naturally understood them, and the performance resonated deeply within the hearts of the audience.
– Hendrik Alla (Postimees)

Duration: appr. 90 min (no intermission)