Janoska Ensemble

Vienna's Janoska Ensemble occupies a uniquely Eastern European space in between classical and popular traditions, a space it calls "Janoska Style." It lives up to this rather ambitious name. It was formed in 2013 by three brothers from Bratislava, Slovakia, and their double-bassist brother-in-law. Its music is rooted in the Viennese café music of the fin-de-siècle, mixing melodies from the classical repertory with gypsy and other Eastern European vernacular influences, updated in the direction of virtuosity and wider geographic and temporal range. Jazz, Cuban rhumba, and folk traditions also make appearances, as does Piazzolla. The ensemble released its debut album, Janoska Style, in 2016, returning in 2019 with the album Revolution. In 2022, it issued The Big B's, featuring the group's own arrangements.