Music has the power to unite cities, countries and people. That is what the Music for Export event will be about on Friday, 20 June 2025, at the Hviezda Cultural and Creative Centre in Trencin. The highlight of the evening will be a concert of the international formation KoMaRa – led by legendary drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson). The programme will be complemented by a public discussion and a workshop for musicians and creators who want to take their music beyond the borders of Slovakia.
Admission to the Music for Export event is free, including a concert by KoMaRa. The event also serves as a taster of the programme prepared for 2026, when Trenčín will become the European Capital of Culture.
International evening in KKC Hviezda
The programme will kick off at 18:00 with a public discussion entitled “How to get music across borders?”, which will open the topic of music export, mobility and European cooperation. This will be followed by the KoMaRa concert at 20:00, during which David Kollar (SK), Pat Mastelotto (USA) and Paolo Raineri (IT) – an extraordinary trio that combines guitar experiments, jazz trumpet and progressive percussion – will meet on the same stage. This time they will be joined by guest Trey Gunn, master of touch-guitar and long-time member of the legendary King Crimson.
“The Music for Export event will show how musicians from the region can break onto European stages, how international connections are made and what the Trenčín 2026 platform can offer,” says Ema Stašáková, project manager of Trenčín 2026.
King Crimson rhythmics come to life in the KoMaRa project
In 2015, three musicians who have crossed the boundaries of styles, countries and sound – Pat Mastelotto, David Kollar and Paolo Raineri – came together. From their union came the KoMaRa project – a sonic alchemy where progressive rock, ambient landscape and avant-garde jazz meet.
Their debut album became a cult record – ranked among the best albums of the year in 13 countries worldwide, with strong support from Tool, whose guitarist Adam Jones created the iconic cover artwork. Their music was also played before Tool concerts during their world tour.
In June 2025, the project will release its anticipated second album and announce exclusive concerts in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This time they bring with them a guest to further deepen their rhythmic legacy – Trey Gunn, master of the touch-guitar and long-time member of the legendary King Crimson. One of the stops will be Trenčín, where the Music for Export event will take place on Friday 20 June 2025 as part of the European Capital of Culture Trenčín 2026 project.
The common denominator of KoMaRa has always been rhythmic – unpredictable, layered, pulsating. It is through rhythm that the project connects to the King Crimson legacy, but develops it in a new direction – more raw, intimate, cinematic.
Workshop with Pat Mastelotto
The afternoon workshop is designed for musicians, conservatory students, creatives and anyone looking for inspiration for their musical career. Pat Mastelotto will share his own experiences and show how music export can work in practice – through grants, exchange programmes, festival networks or partnerships between cities that – like Trenčín – bear the title of European Capital of Culture.
More information about the workshop, which requires advance registration, can be found here:
https://www.trencin2026.eu/podujatie/workshop-pat-mastelloto-komara/
Funding and support
The Music for Export event takes place within the project Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture. The project is financially supported by the City of Trenčín, the Trenčín Self-Governing Region, the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic and the European Union
