Viva Musica! festival 2026
Anouar Brahem: After the Last Sky

Event description

15 July 2026, 20:00, Slovak Radio

Anouar Brahem: After the Last Sky

Anouar Brahem draws on the rich traditions of Arab music in his work, while at the same time engaging in a dialogue with the wider world and finding inspiration in a variety of other cultures. His twelfth album for ECM Records, After the Last Sky, embodies many of the defining qualities of his music: an exceptional sensitivity to silence and its resonance in space, elegance of expression and form, a constant oscillation between melancholy and ecstasy, and a constant drive to transcend boundaries. As on his previous recording Blue Maqams (2017, ECM), Brahem is joined by two outstanding improvisers with decades of experience in modern jazz – bassist Dave Holland (who will be replaced in concert by the excellent Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen) and pianist Django Bates. At the same time, a new voice from the world of European classical music enters the ensemble – cellist Anja Lechner (who, like Brahem, records for ECM), bringing a delicate lyricism to the album, with the cello emerging as one of its central voices.

Anouar Brahem will appear at the Viva Musica! festival in his Slovak premiere on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8:00 PM at the Slovak Radio Building in Bratislava. “It is a joy for me to perform in Bratislava for the firsts time and to share my music with the festival audience. Joined by Anja Lechner on cello, Django Bates on piano, and Mats Eilertsen on double bass, I will perform After the Last Sky, a program whose title, borrowed from the poet Mahmoud Darwish, carries fragility, gravity, and hope – as a way of never surrendering to darkness,” said Anouar Brahem.

Listening to Brahem’s music means experiencing a sense of closeness – a fragile, ever-renewed dialogue between four exceptional musicians, rooted in trust, shared belonging, and a common intention to venture into the “unknown,” which Brahem describes as his favourite territory. The album After the Last Sky is both a refuge from a world that has grown harsher, louder, and more violent, and a quiet act of resistance against it.


Line-up:

Anouar Brahem / oud
Anja Lechner / cello
Django Bates / piano
Mats Eilertsen / double bass


Photo © Marco Borggreve
www.vivamusica.sk 

Programme and artists subject to change.


Donor Ticket:
We have reserved the best seats in the auditorium for you! For our concerts at the Slovak Radio Building (Great Concert Studio), you can purchase a special donor ticket. By doing so, you support the festival beyond the standard ticket price and help us continue our mission of creating and presenting exceptional musical experiences. The price of a standard ticket is increased by a €20 donation, and the number of available seats is limited. Thank you for your support.

Discounts:
50% off the ticket price in Category 2 for persons with disabilities and their companion
20% discount for seniors over 65, pupils, students, and holders of ISIC, ITIC, and Euro<26 cards – applicable to all price categories


Music:

Anouar Brahem: After the Last Sky (2025, ECM Records) – official music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_2W8CEMgk

Anouar Brahem: Awake – Live at La Philharmonie de Paris, France (2025)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707JNoipYqY

Anouar Brahem: Blue Maqams (2017, ECM Records) – official music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Kh985eJGU