Romanian Jazz, Global Pulse
- RCI USA
- Jan 20
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 11
AMPHITRIO, Romania’s foremost jazz trio, on its first U.S. tour
About The Event
This February, New York gets a first listen to one of Europe’s most exciting new jazz voices. AMPHITRIO, a boundary-pushing trio from Romania, makes its U.S. debut with a four-date mini-tour that moves from downtown Manhattan to the Midwest and back—plugging Eastern European imagination directly into the American jazz bloodstream.
Presented with the support of RCI New York as part of the Jazz Jamboree concert series, the tour highlights a band that treats jazz not as a tradition to preserve, but as a language in constant motion. Formed in 2020, Amphitrio—Andrei Petrache (piano & composition), Mike Alex (double bass), and Philip Goron (percussion)—blend contemporary jazz with Nordic atmospheres, Balkan rhythms, flashes of rock energy, and subtle electronic color. The result is music that feels cinematic and intimate at once: exploratory, groove-driven, and emotionally direct.
The tour kicks off February 6 at Nublu, the legendary Lower East Side venue long regarded as a launchpad for global, forward-thinking jazz. From there, Amphitrio heads to Constellation in Chicago on February 8, one of the Midwest’s most vital experimental music spaces, where the trio will be joined by special guest vocalist Ana Everling, adding a striking new vocal layer to their sound. On February 12, the band stops at The Vault Pub in Bloomington, Indiana, before closing the tour with an intimate final performance on February 13 at RCI New York.
Amphitrio arrives stateside with serious momentum. Their 2024 album Timelines and the international tour What Freedom Sounds Like took them across major jazz capitals—from Berlin and Vienna to Paris and Baku—with showcase appearances at jazzahead! Bremen, the world’s leading jazz industry platform, and festival invitations including JazzFest Budapest.
More than a run of concerts, Amphitrio’s U.S. debut is a moment of cultural exchange—placing Romanian jazz firmly within the global conversation and introducing American audiences to a sound that is rooted, cosmopolitan, and unmistakably forward-looking. If you’re curious about where contemporary jazz is headed next, this is a band worth catching now.
Concert dates & RSVPs links:
• February 6, 2026 — Nublu, New York
• February 8, 2026 — Constellation, Chicago (feat. Ana Everling)
• February 12, 2026 — The Vault Pub, Bloomington
• February 13, 2026 — Romanian Cultural Institute, New York
Meet the Musicians
Amphitrio is a contemporary jazz trio from Bucharest, Romania, formed in 2023 by pianist and composer Andrei Petrache, bassist Mike Alex, and percussionist Philip Goron - three musicians whose artistic paths merge classical precision, modern jazz sensibility, and alternative experimentation. The project’s essence lies in friendship, improvisation, and a shared search for freedom in sound. Each member brings a distinct creative language shaped by years of performing across genres—from classical and orchestral contexts to experimental jazz, world music, and electronic fusion.
Philip Goron (drums) graduated from the Faculty of Musical Interpretation, Percussion section, at the National University of Music in Bucharest, and the Young Masters program at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (MDW). In 2023, Philip was awarded the Yamaha Scholarship for Musical Performance – Percussion and the Excellence Scholarship offered by the University of Music in Bucharest. He is currently active in both classical music and world music and jazz. Thus, Philip collaborates as a percussionist with orchestras of prestigious institutions such as the George Enescu Philharmonic, the Comic Opera for Children, and the National Operetta and Musical Theatre in Bucharest. He is also active as a drummer in world music and jazz projects, including Mădălina Pavăl Orchestra, Luiza Zan Quintet, and Răzvan Florescu Quintet.
Alexandru (Mike) Marin (double bass and electric bass) graduated from the Faculty of Composition, Musicology, and Musical Pedagogy – Jazz Composition section at the National University of Music in Bucharest. Over time, he has won awards at various competitions and gained extensive concert experience both as a soloist and as a member of orchestras in Romania and Europe. Currently, Mike collaborates with recognized orchestras such as the Bucharest Jazz Orchestra, Big Band Radio, and the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra (OSB), as well as with renowned artists such as Nicolas Simion, Sorin Zlat, Mircea Tiberian, Sebastian Burneci, Cătălin Milea, Simona Strungaru, and others. He is also involved in the projects Norzeatic and Qinta Spartă and Sebastian Burneci Quintet.
Andrei Petrache (piano) holds dual degrees in Classical Composition and Orchestral Conducting, and is a graduate of the master's program in Compositional Style and Language from the National University of Music in Bucharest. Currently, he is a PhD candidate and associate lecturer at the same institution. His works have received over 30 awards in national and international composition competitions and have been performed in major cities across Europe and Asia. He has also received multiple awards as a pianist, and his recent activities have focused on the jazz scene. His collaborations include renowned artists such as Nicolas Simion, Sorin Romanescu, Cătălin Milea, and others, as well as numerous other jazz and alternative music projects. Andrei has performed on stages in Europe, Asia, and North America.
