AGMA — Szymon Mika — Krokus Jazz Festival

Szymon Mika is today one of the most interesting personalities of the European jazz scene. Guitarist, composer and band leader, he has consistently built his own musical language for years, combining modern jazz with melodiousness, space and extraordinary improvisational sensitivity. The artist has more than 30 albums and numerous prestigious awards and distinctions, including the title of Jazz Forum magazine's Guitarist of the Year (2022), the Grand Prix of the International Jazz Guitar Competition named after Jarek Śmietana (2015) and the title of Hope of the Year Jazz Forum (2016). His talent was also appreciated by world-class musicians, including Peter Bernstein, Mike Stern and John Abercrombie.

Mika is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Katowice and the prestigious Jazzcampus Basel in Switzerland. Focusyear has collaborated and performed with artists such as Dave Holland, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joshua Redman, Avishai Cohen, Mark Turner and Becca Stevens. He has performed at many international festivals and jazz scenes throughout Europe, building the reputation of one of the most recognizable Polish guitarists of the young generation.

The project “AGMA” is an original, international quintet of Szymon Mika, created especially for the unique composition of musicians representing different cultures and musical experiences.

The band's music defies simple definitions. AGMA combines modern jazz, subtle lyrics, open forms of improvisation and sounds inspired by the European and contemporary improvised scene. The voice of Song Yi Jeon plays a special role here, treated not only as a carrier of the text, but also as a full-fledged instrument contributing to the narration of the band. Mika's compositions leave space both for the precisely constructed sound of the entire quintet and for the spontaneous improvisational expression of each of the musicians.

The album “Agma”, released in 2025, received a very enthusiastic reception from critics. The reviewers emphasized the extraordinary unity of the band, the maturity of the composition and the unique chemistry between the musicians. What is especially impressive, the material was recorded practically without prior rehearsals, and the first meeting of the musicians with the compositions took place directly in the recording studio.

AGMA is not only a musical project, but also a symbol of artistic dialogue across borders. The band has already performed in Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland, where they held a two-day artistic residency at the legendary Bird's Eye club in Basel. Each quintet concert becomes a meeting of five distinct musical personalities whose shared energy creates an extremely intense and emotional stage experience.

“One listens to 'Agma' with bated breath. This album is brilliantly planned and ideally translated into a team realization. Intriguing melodies, improvisational inventions, the unique unity of the quintet. Perfection.”