ELYSIUM Jazz Concert to Take Place at Czech Center New York

The Czech Center New York will host a Jazz Night concert on Thursday, November 5 in their Grand Ballroom at the Bohemian National Hall, featuring acclaimed pianist Daniel Bulatkin and vibraphonist Miro Herak.

The duo bring their shared project Elysium to the stage in a quartet featuring guests from New York's jazz scene, including double-bassist Ben Tiberio and drummer Ofri Nehemya. Their music blends contemporary jazz with Slavic and Romani folk traditions, Balkan rhythms, and impressionist classical influences. The distinctive pairing of piano and vibraphone, enriched by subtle electronics, gives the quartet a sound that is both lyrical and exploratory. Their original compositions move from intimate, reflective passages to spirited improvisation.

The concert is part of Offbeat Bohemia, an open series connecting contemporary Czech and Slovak music with New York's experimental and alternative scenes.

About Elysium

Dutch vibraphonist of Czechoslovak descent Miro Herak joins forces with leading Czech pianist Daniel Bulatkin in a project that is making waves across Europe and beyond. The music of this group is strongly influenced by Slavic and Gypsy folk, as well as impressionist classical music and rhythms from the Balkan, reflecting the shared Central European roots of both leaders. The compositions by Bulatkin and Herak blend wild rhythms, lush soundscapes and strong memorable melodies with a powerful narrative quality, based on old folk tales and/or current events. The specific sound of the vibraphone, light electronics and the use of extended techniques on the double bass turn Elysium into one of the most exciting new outfits on the European jazz scene.

Elysium represented Czech jazz during the Year of Czech Music 2024 and has performed at festivals and venues across Europe and Asia, including South Korea's Jarasum Jazz Festival and London's PizzaExpress Jazz Club. In 2025 they toured extensively in the UK, Europe and Asia, with highlight concerts at JZ Festival in Shanghai (China), Taichung Jazz Festival (Taiwan), Jazz Po Polsku Festival in Warsaw (Poland) and PizzaExpress Club in London (UK), the latter featuring renowned saxophonist Will Vinson.

Without exaggeration, tens of thousands of listeners around the world have been enjoying the music of this project globally, with many more to come, as the group puts the finishing touches on their long-anticipated ambitious debut album.

Tickets for Czech Center New York Jazz Night are on-sale now.

About Miro Herak

A faculty member at the renowned Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Miro Herak belongs to a small group of elite European jazz vibraphonists. After spending several years as a member of the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Miro moved to the Netherlands, where he quickly became a sought-after performer and composer across genres, known from projects such as the award-winning AsGuests, as well as Atlantic Road Trip, KuVenda & The Hague Ethospheric Orchestra. During his career he's also collaborated with musicians such as Norma Winstone, Alex Sipiagin, Eric Vloeimans, or Anton Goudsmit; and performed on stages such as Carnegie Hall, Bimhuis and North Sea Jazz Festival.

About Daniel Bulatkin