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28 November 2025, at 7:00 p.m., Studio 181 hall, Rectorate building, Transilvania University of Brașov

A new concert within Chamber Jazz @ Transilvania University cultural programme brings the musicians Adi Stoenescu (piano) and Dima Bondarev (trumpet) to the audience of Brașov, for a foray into the free-flowing dialogue between the lyricism of the acoustic piano and the warm expressiveness of the trumpet.

The collaboration between the two artists has materialised in various formulas, which includes KRiSPER, the electric jazz band led by Adi Stoenescu. In this duo formula, however, their music takes on a different intensity, intimate, spontaneous and with an emphasis on original compositions and contemporary reinterpretations of the jazz standards.

Adi Stoenescu had studied classical piano for eight years in his hometown, Târgoviște. Later though, during the studies at Politehnica University of Bucharest, he delved into jazz improvisation with the pianist and composer Marius Popp.

He played the Hammond organ in blues (Cyfer) and jazz bands (together with Alex Man and Sorin Romanescu) and explored free forms of improvisation in Hammond Trip, a project led by Cătălin Milea, with whom he participated in Jazz and More Festival of Sibiu (2014). As a member of Arcuș Trio (together with Alexandru Arcuș and Marcel Moldovan) he won the Award for Best Composition at Sibiu Jazz Festival (2015).

His main recordings include Allotropy (2016, with Arcuș Trio), Titan Suite (2019, with Iordache) and Landing on the Comet (2017, with his KRiSPER band). In 2021 he released the first album under his name: Waking Light (with Borislav Petrov on drums, Mihail Ivanov on the double bass, and Arnau Garrofé on tenor saxophone), which was followed, in 2022, by Surfacing, recorded with Adi Stoenescu Trio (Alessandro D’Anna on drums and Jonathan Bäckström on the double bass).

In recent years he has participated in the greatest jazz festivals of Romania and Republic of Moldova: Bucharest Jazz Festival, Gărâna Jazz Festival, Jazz TM, Green Hours Jazz Fest, Smida Jazz Festival, Transilvania Jazz Festival, Jazz in the Park, One Jazz Festival and Ethno Jazz Festival Chișinău.

Currently settled in Berlin, Adi Stoenescu coordinates KRiSPER band and explores contemporary jazz through his original compositions.

Over time, he has collaborated with artists such as Iordache, The Jam Community, Paolo Profeti European Collective, Cristian Soleanu, Sorin Romanescu, Nicolas Simion, Gianni Gagliardi, Daniel Torres, Laura Benedek’s 7th Sense, Marta Popovici and Omri Abramov.

Born in the city of Donețk, Ukraine, in 1984, Dima Bondarev began to play the trumpet at the age of nine, starting from classical music, only to discover his passion for jazz. Between 2008 and 2013, he became a high-profile presence on the Ukrainian jazz scene, playing at major festivals and touring with Acoustic Quartet and Magnifika Group.

In 2011 and 2016, he was granted Gaude Polonia cultural scholarship, thus completing his studies in Warsaw and Wrocław, with Piotr Wojtasik and Robert Majewski. Since 2013 he has been living in Berlin, where he was conferred the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Jazz Institut Berlin, under the guidance of professors such as Gerard Presencer, Tom Arthurs, Sebastian Studnitzky, John Hollenbeck, Greg Cohen, Geoffrey De Masure, Julia Hülsmann, Tino Derado, Guilherme Castro and Javier Reyes.

During the studies, he received JIB Jazz al Karl Hofer Gesellschaft (2015) and Deutschlandstipendium (2017) awards. After completing the master’s studies in composition (2020), he was granted Elsa-Neumann Stipendium scholarship.

In 2021, Dima Bondarev was selected for the prestigious Focusyear programme of Jazzcampus Basel (Switzerland), where he studied under Ambrose Akinmusire’s guidance, and performed with internationally renowned jazz artists.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with many acclaimed musicians, including Aaron Parks, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gilad Hekselman, Larry Grenadier, Logan Richardson, Cuong Vu, Kris Davis, Lionel Loueke, Jorge Rossy, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Elena Pinderhughes, Greg Cohen, Doug Weiss, Joey Baron, Conrad Herwig, Steve Turre, Nels Cline, Jim Black, NDR Big Band, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, Guillermo Klein, Josh Ginsburg, Wanja Slavin, Elias Stemeseder and Ingrid Laubrock. Moreover, he has his own projects, starting with his debut album I’m Wondering (Unit Records, 2017).

On 31 January 2025, he released his second album, Get a Second Will, with Wanja Slavin, Igor Spallati and Jim Black, which was received with much praise by the critics. That same year, he was nominated and even won German Jazz Prize, under “Brass” category.

As a bandleader and as a sideman, Dima Bondarev has performed on some of Europe’s most important jazz stages: North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Umbria Jazz Festival (Italy), XJazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Fest (Germany), Jazz nad Odrą (Poland), Jazz Bez, Leopolis Jazz Fest (Ukraine) and Jazz à Montauban (France), and more.

We will be therefore waiting for you on Friday, 28 November 2025, starting at 7:00 p.m., in Studio 181 hall (Rectorate building, Transilvania University of Brașov), and the entrance is free, within the limit of available seats.