Dan Bárta & Robert Balzar

Singer Dan Bárta and double bassist Robert Balzar rarely perform together in the stripped-down format of a duo, and their collaboration—set within an architectural gem listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site—promises a truly unique and unrepeatable event.

When the names Dan Bárta and Robert Balzar are mentioned, most fans immediately recall Bárta’s rock energy with Alice, his funk explorations with J.A.R., and the distinctive chamber pop of Illustratosphere, as well as his long-standing collaboration with the Robert Balzar Trio. The duo format with its leader, however, is something entirely different—it is music in its most exposed form, where there is no room for error and where every tone, breath, and movement of a finger on the double bass fingerboard carries absolute weight.

This formation appears on stage only rarely. While the full trio creates, as heard on albums such as Theyories and Jedním dechem, a tight and rhythmically rich sound, the duo setting transforms the music into an intimate conversation. It is a dialogue between one of Europe’s finest jazz double bassists and a vocalist whose voice can replace an entire orchestra. For JazzFestBrno audiences, this collaboration offers a rare opportunity to experience both artists in their purest form.
Although the exact setlist remains a mystery until the very last moment—as befits true jazz improvisers—the program will likely draw from their rich shared repertoire. Audiences can look forward to original interpretations of jazz standards, as well as pop and rock classics, alongside original compositions that have matured over the years.

The choice of venue is no coincidence. Villa Tugendhat, an icon of functionalist architecture, is renowned for its purity, spatial design, and refined materials. The music of the Bárta & Balzar duo can be described in much the same way—modern, structurally precise, yet deeply human and organic. The villa’s glass walls, seamlessly connecting interior and garden, will provide a setting for jazz improvisation that no conventional concert hall could offer.