Written by The Dobršská brána International Music Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary as an intimate two-day festival with a focus on experimental contemporary jazz, as well as music that overlaps into classical or pop, but always with an adventurous flair.
Despite its remote location—a village in the foothills of the Šumava mountains of South Bohemia (Czech Republic)—and its modest budget, the festival attracts artists from across Europe and beyond each year. For this year’s jubilee edition, all performers have previously played the festival. The line-up was selected by annual visitors, who were polled and voted for their favourites. The theme for 2026 is Looking Back.
The village of Dobrš has only about 500 residents, yet it carries strong cultural significance. It sits on a steep hill and features a Gothic bell tower dating back to the 1300s, as well as a small Baroque church built over Romanesque foundations from 1230. Both sites are used for musical performances, alongside the main stage in the courtyard of a Baroque château. Visitors reach the venue by passing through the village’s iconic Baroque gate (“brána” in Czech), which gives the festival its name.
In recent years, each edition has focused on a specific musical instrument. This year breaks with that tradition. As a reunion of returning artists, it opens space for spontaneous collaborations, allowing musicians to join each other’s projects and create new artistic connections live on stage.
With headline names presented without strict scheduling order, the following artists from across Europe and Asia will perform on August 14–15:
Scott Tixier
Scott Tixier, who performed in 2023 during the violin-focused edition, returns as a six-time Grammy Award-winning violinist alongside his brother Tony Tixier. Blending jazz, classical, and chamber music, Scott Tixier—born in France and trained at the Conservatory of Paris—is now a professor of jazz violin. His American Dream Quartet features Tony Tixier (piano), Ameen Saleem (double bass), and Pierre Ede Guilbaud (drums), performing music from his album Bonfire, combining reinterpretations and improvisation rooted in jazz, film scores, and contemporary soundscapes.
Kimmo Pohjonen from Finland, who appeared in 2020 during the “Jazz & the Accordion” edition, represents the experimental edge of the instrument. Known for his custom electrified accordion and energetic vocal style, he moves across jazz, world music, electronica, and art-rock festivals. He will present his KP ZONE project, joined by Cyril Atef on drums.
Cyril Atef, who participated in the 2021 drum-focused edition, is a French-Persian percussionist and composer blending live drumming with electronica and high-tech visuals. Born in Berlin and raised in Los Angeles, he studied at the Percussion Institute of Technology and Berklee College of Music. Now based in Paris, he will perform his PAPATEF project—simultaneously playing drums, Persian santur, drum machines, and turntables, while also singing—creating an immersive, trance-like experience.
Karin Nakagawa from Japan, who performed in 2019 in the Baroque church, returns with her distinctive fusion of traditional Japanese folk and jazz-influenced improvisation on the 25-string koto. Part of her previous performance can be viewed here:
A recipient of a Swedish Grammy Award for her ECM debut (2015), she will collaborate this year with Austrian trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Simon Zochbauer. Their project, Resonant Grounds / After Silence, combines traditional songs, original compositions, and free improvisation, marking their first performance together.
Markus Stockhausen, who appeared in 2022 during the trumpet-focused edition, returns with his CELEBRATION project. As the son of composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, he carries a legacy of European modernist music while establishing his own voice as a composer and improviser. Joined by Jeroen van Vliet (piano, synthesizers), Jörg Brinkmann (cello), and Christian Thomé (drums), the group blends jazz, progressive rock, and electronica in performances that range from intense to meditative.
Helge Lien
Norwegian pianist Helge Lien, who performed in 2024, brings a more traditional jazz approach influenced by Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans. He will perform as a duo with Czech trumpeter Štěpánka Balcarová, a leading figure of the younger generation of Czech jazz. Having first met at the festival in 2022, they now present a chamber collaboration combining Nordic lyricism with Czech jazz expression.
Czech pianist and composer Nikol Bóková, also returning from the 2024 edition, merges classical influences with lyrical jazz compositions. She will perform with her trio—Martin Kocián (double bass) and Michal Wierzgoń (drums)—and feature Markus Stockhausen as a special guest on trumpet.
Markus Stockhausen
Norwegian violinist Nils Økland, who first appeared in 2017, returns with his FLEXEMBLE project. Known for blending Norwegian folk, classical music, jazz, and world influences, he expands his sound with electronics and free improvisation. The ensemble includes musicians from Norway and Belgium, along with Slovak guests Gabriela Kováčiková and Róbert Ragan.
Hungarian multi-instrumentalist Mihály Borbély, active since the 1970s, brings his quartet back following his 2018 appearance. Performing on clarinet and saxophone, he blends Hungarian and Balkan folk traditions with straight-ahead jazz. This performance anticipates his 70th birthday, and his quartet will open the 2026 festival.
If you are looking for large crowds and corporate spectacle, this is not the festival for you. Instead, Dobršská brána offers a grounded, intimate experience set in a mountain village surrounded by countryside. It is a place where music, atmosphere, and community take precedence—and where returning artists clearly find joy in coming back.
Last modified: June 18, 2026
