Pianist and composer Matija Dedić (1973) is one of the leading Croatian jazz musicians today. This confirmed not only by the fact that he is a multiple Porin Award winner (the most prestigious music award in Croatia, 2016 he won six, including the Album of the Year award for Matija svira Arsena) but by his impressive discography with international jazz masters, as well as the relentless concert activity (solo, trio, Gabi Novak, Zoran Predin, Tamara Obrovac, Gibonni, Šimun Matišić, Zoran Majstorović…). Since 2009 he released three albums with American rhythm sections, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard, Vicente Archer and Kendrick Scott, as well as Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez – something no other active jazz musicians from the ex-YU territory has achieved.
On his third appearance at the Belgrade Jazz Festival, he presents the program from his latest album Dedicated backed up by trio with Joris Teepe (main collaborations: Don Braden, Benny Golson, Rashied Ali, Billy Hart and Randy Brecker) and Gene Jackson (main collaborations: Kevin Eubanks, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Donny McCaslin, Robin Eubanks, John Abercrombie, The Mingus Big Band) a solo program and a duo with his guest Vasil Hažimanov.