Acoustic Jazz Trio
Eliot Wadopian - acoustic bass
Byron Hedgepeth - drum set
The unique sound of Acoustic Jazz Trio is an interesting blend of swing, modal, and latin jazz, along with some influences of contemporary twentieth- century music, world music, and Czech folk music. Most of the repertoire is based on original compositions, exciting new arrangements of jazz standards as well as traditional styles of modern jazz ranging from the swing era and be-bop to modal and experimental jazz.
All three members are accomplished professional musicians with extensive international experience. The trio has been rehearsing regularly, and has performed primarily in the Western North Carolina area. However, the trio is in the process of negotiating contracts for several international venues and festival engagements for the upcoming summer. Audiences everywhere will soon be able to experience the Acoustic Jazz Trio's unique chemistry, artistry, and musical communication during a live performance, for the first live CD recording is scheduled to debut during the upcoming season of 2003/2004.
The trio was formed in the fall of 2002 by Pavel Wlosok, who moved to the area from Truman State University ( Missouri ), where he directed the jazz program and coached two big bands and several small groups.
Pavel Wlosok , ( click here for full bio ).
Byron Hedgepeth , is perhaps the most experienced percussionist in the Southeast. After completing a masters degree at the University of Illinois , Mr. Hedgepeth has been very active in the development of music education reaching beyond the standard practices of drum instruction. His wide knowledge of world music, the sounds of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, Africa and Europe, have designated Byron as one of the most knowledgeable individuals in this burgeoning field. Many believe World Music to be highly influential on the improvisational music of the future and Mr. Hedgepeth will certainly be one at the forefront of this field. Having performed in every situation from symphony orchestras to touring ensembles in Taiwan , Byron brings a wealth of experience to excite audiences.
Eliot Wadopian, who is no stranger to Western North Carolina audiences, has performed extensively throughout the United States , Europe and the Orient with many professional ensembles. In this trio concept he is performing on acoustic bass. Eliot is one of those artists who truly capture freedom in music. From the symphonic literature to Jazz, Gospel, Blues, World Music, Rock, he has explored them all. These influences have helped to create a unique, highly-spirited musical style which in 1993 won him the prestigious Grammy Award as Acoustic Bassist with the Paul Winter Consort.
Classical Meets Jazz
Andrea Adamcova - classical piano
Pavel Wlosok - jazz piano
Classical Meets Jazz series was founded in 2000 by Andrea Adamcova and Pavel Wlosok, both native pianists of the Czech Republic . The purpose of these recitals is to present public with two different styles of music which have shared historic paths during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Not only high schools and universities, but also community audiences can benefit from this concert venue, since these recitals also often include short lectures about each piece presented.
In the classical portion, Andrea performs primarily twentieth-century compositions, but she also enjoys Baroque and Impressionism periods. She concentrates mainly on lesser known compositions and specializes in the music of Czech and Polish composers. Recent performance have included works by such composers as Chick Corea, Lubos Fiser , Alberto Ginastera, Leos Janáček , Bohuslav Martinu, and Robert Muczynski. In the jazz portion of the concert, Pavel focuses on the straight ahead main-stream as well as his own original jazz composition. He also enjoys playing the jazz standards of Duke Ellington , Thelonious Monk , Billy Strayhorn , Victor Young , Antonio Carlos Jobim , and many more ranging from the period of 1930s to the present.
Classical Meets Jazz has already performed in Texas , Missouri , North Carolina , and the Czech Republic . Both performers are inspired and experienced musicians with international credentials. Please, contact us if interested in having Classical Meets Jazz on your program.
Andrea Adamcova is a graduate from the Janácek Academy of Music in Bmo (1993 - 1998), Czech Republic , where she earned a Masters of Music in Piano Performance and a Teaching Certificate in June 1998. In May 2000, she completed a Masters of Music in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas, Denton, where she studied with prof. Adam Wodnicki. Before her university teaching experience, Mrs. Adamcova served as a teaching assistant in Music Theory, Music History, and Keyboard Class Piano at the University of North Texas . Concurrently, she served as a piano instructor in the Community Music Program at University of North Texas . While at UNT, Ms. Adamcova also had the opportunity to teach piano at two private schools: The Academy of Fine Arts in Lewisville, TX and the Backstage Music School in Southlake . While at the University of North Texas , she performed for two semesters as a pianist with the UNT Wind Symphony under the direction of Eugene Corporon . They recorded two CD's and performed on several big events, including the 66 th Annual Convention of American Bandmasters Association in Austin , TX . Between 2000 and 2002 Mrs. Adamcova served as a piano instructor and accompanist at Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri . As a classical pianist, Mrs. Adamcova has toured throughout Europe and the United States and has had extensive concert and clinic experiences. To listen to Andrea's playing, please visit the MP3 section.
