"Makedonissimo - © makedonissimo.mk
The musical project “Makedonissimo”, desired and created by pianist Simon Trpčeski, reinterprets the folkloric tradition of North Macedonia through classical arrangements, without forgetting the traditional dances of the region, in a mix of ancient and contemporary
Since 2017, famous Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski has promoted Macedonian folk music through classical music arrangements, in a quintet also including Hidan Mamudov (clarinet, alto saxophone, and kaval), Aleksandar Krapovski (violin), Aleksandar Somov (cello), and Vlatko Nushev (percussion). This project had its world premiere on May 18, 2017 , at Ludwigsburg Festival, Germany
The quintet and the project, both named “Makedonissimo” , are well-known on the world stage, and in North Macedonia they have often performed in unconventional locations with concerts in the middle of the meadows in the villages and rural areas.
“Makedonissimo” means "very Macedonian", and Trpčeski says it is dedicated to Macedonian people, because as a child in his father's village he learnt just how, in the past centuries, folk music was passed from generation to generation.
This project includes Macedonian traditional dances for which Simon Trpčeski cooperates with professionals from the Folklore Institute "Marko Cepenkov”, as well as with the folk ensemble "Tanec", while composer Pande Shakhov transcribed those musical works.
Trpčeski says that he conceived the Makedonissimo project over four years, and the creative process with Pande Shakhov lasted one year. In the end, a set of 23 tracks was written and performed, mostly dances and some songs.
"The indescribable power of the 'rhythm' of our music is part of my everyday life, and brings along many memories, starting from my childhood with my parents, my brother, my sister, my grandmother, and my grandfather”, Trpčeski writes on the website of the project.
“Family gatherings were full of joy and happiness, today I pass on this timeless tradition to my children. I have never before had the opportunity to make this recording a reality and therefore I am overjoyed that it finally happened”.
Trpčeski’s parents' home villages are where “Makedonissimo” started its tour in 2022. The concert in the village of Zbazhdi in the region of Struga and in the mountainous area of Karaorman – at over 1000 metres above sea level – attracted an audience of several thousand people.
Next came a performance in August 2023 in the village of Sekirnik, not far away from Strumica, a rural area known for its fertile soil, where the best Macedonian vegetables come from.
"Makedonissimo strikes a balance between tradition and originality. Whether it's a haunting and poignant melody, a nostalgic, lyrical ballad, or a whirlwind of energetic, celebratory dancing, the musicians bring strong emotion and unbridled joy to the music”, reported Radio Free Europe after interviewing Trpčeski in 2022. “I strongly recommend this album to every music lover", wrote critic Nathan Fero in the oldest American magazine specialising in reviews, "American Record Guide".
In the American classical and jazz bimonthly “Fanfare”, Peter Burwasser recommends his readers "not to miss this". “The music here is an enticing mix of jazz energy and narrative lyricism. Although the music is fundamentally folk, Shakhov borrows the modern idiom of the percussion section, delivered with a subtle but persistently driving energy by Vlatko Nushev”, writes Burwasser. “Of course, the complex rhythms of the source material are subjected to modern treatments, for example by Kodály in Hungary and Grieg in Norway”.
Born in Macedonia in 1979, Simon Trpčeski graduated from the Faculty of Music at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, where he studied with professor Boris Romanov. As a soloist, he gave concerts on almost all continents in collaboration with hundreds of orchestras.
In chamber music, Simon Trpčeski regularly collaborates with cellist Daniel Miller-Schott and appears as a chamber musician at festivals such as Aspen, Verbier, Risor, Bergen, and the Baltic Sea Festival. His latest collaboration in this field is with the violinist Maxim Vengerov.
Simon Trpčeski also advocates for strengthening the cultural image of his native North Macedonia. With special support from cultural and artistic organisation KulturOp, Trpčeski regularly works with young musicians in North Macedonia, nurturing the talent of the next generation of artists, as well as promoting and affirming Macedonian music and classical music in general.
In 2009, he received the Presidential Order of Merit for Macedonia, a decoration awarded for the affirmation of Macedonia abroad. In 2011, he became the first recipient of the title "National Artist of Macedonia".
