Skopje, 29 October 2025 (MIA) — The National Jazz Orchestra will give a concert in Skopje featuring the Yellowjackets on Nov. 6, organizers told a press conference Wednesday.

The jazz orchestra will also go on a European tour, giving concerts in Budapest, Prague and Vienna mid-November. It will give another two concerts in Skopje in December, organizers said.

The Nov. 6 concert will be held at the National Opera and Ballet and conducted by Bob Mintzer.

The orchestra's director Goce Stevkovski said their concert with the Yellowjackets would "offer a blend of energy, improvisation and artistic maturity, characteristic of both ensembles." 

"It will be an evening dedicated to the true spirit of jazz: openness, communication and inspiration," Stevkovski said.

As part of its "Macedonian Dreams" tour, featuring Macedonian folk music in a contemporary jazz context, the orchestra will perform in Budapest on Nov. 12, in Prague on Nov. 14 and in Vienna on Nov. 17.

"The concert program includes compositions uniting tradition and contemporary musical expression, retelling the deep Macedonian folklore roots through the language of jazz," Stevkovski said.

He said this was the first time the orchestra would perform new arrangements of Macedonian folk songs as well as original compositions inspired by Macedonian folklore.

The concerts will be conducted by Vladimir Nikolov and recorded live for a forthcoming album release.

Back in Skopje, the jazz musicians will perform a "Rock n' Roll in Jazz" concert with Vlatko Stefanovski, Darko Rundek and Rambo Amadeus on Dec. 8 and a New Year's children's concert featuring Bibi's World on Dec. 14. mr/