Taras Vološčuk Trio @ Divadlo Inspirace | 4.6.2026
Yes, it is still our Taras who had his big day last night at Divadlo Inspirace, performing his graduation concert. As for that first headline? I’m only partly guilty—I stole it directly from the social media buzz ahead of the show. 
I already received quite a few inquiries about Taras and this performance after publishing the HotSpots for June. I’m not surprised. After all, Taras has been an integral part of the Czech music scene in multiple ways since 1999. But finishing school now? To understand why, we have to look at a background that holds so much more than many of us realize.
Taras’s roots go back east, where he was rigorously trained as a classical violinist, graduating from the prestigious Lysenko Music School and the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv. He earned widespread recognition as an accomplished classical violinist, recording over 50 classical chamber music albums alongside dozens of jazz records.
When he moved to the Czech Republic in 1999, he began building a CV that few Czech-born musicians can compete with. Along with spending over a decade touring with the legendary folk-rock band Čechomor, he has performed alongside top-tier local and international artists like Lenka Dusilová, Najponk Trio, Yvonne Sanchez, Suzanne Vega, and Gerry Leonard.
With a pedigree like that, it is no wonder this quiet, slightly shy double bassist remains one of the most sought-after session players in the country.
And last night was his night.
But let me first mention that Taras was by no means alone on stage. A trio means three, and backing him last night were Kirill Yakovlev on guitar and Dušan Černák on drums. While that looks like a standard rock or blues lineup on paper, all similarities to those genres stopped the moment they played their first note. What we heard was something totally different.
This was undoubtedly Taras’s showcase, but the way Kirill and Dušan handled their parts proved this wasn’t a one-man show—it was a band with a profound sense of togetherness.
As a true professional, Taras brings an original approach to the double bass that stems directly from his violin roots. It explains his immaculate left-hand technique on the fretboard and a melodic precision rare among pure jazz bassists. He is a highly physical, acoustic-driven player, which makes sense given his background.
But the most positive surprise for me was Taras Vološčuk the composer.
Last night’s setlist was built entirely upon Taras’s own originals, save for the very last tune: Olivier Messiaen’s “Les Bergers” (The Shepherds) from his famous Christmas organ cycle, La Nativité du Seigneur.
Taras’s own tunes were so melodic, so beautiful, and played in such perfect harmony with Kirill’s guitar and Dušan’s drums that even the solos never felt like individual performances. They were stitched perfectly into the fabric of the whole piece.
Everyone experiences a concert like this differently. When I finally caught my breath and started processing what I just heard, I realized I had just sat through a brilliant history lesson on the birth and development of jazz. It began with Taras’s soft, melodic acoustic bass solo and culminated in Messiaen’s avant-garde composition—a piece that is notoriously difficult, rhythmically free, and intensely colorful.
This was so much more than just a concert; it was an experience I’d want to have all over again.
Thank you, Taras Vološčuk Trio! 
Back in October
This was a worthy ending to the spring season at Divadlo Inspirace. This small, intimate club and theater is now closing its doors to the jazz population until they reopen in October.
Divadlo Inspirace is a venue you absolutely need to put on your calendar, and not just for the caliber of music they present. Remember, it is housed inside the Lichtenstein Palace, deep down under street level. It is a stone-walled cave vault that is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
The bar keeps prices more than decent, and while it isn’t a rowdy party place, it is the absolute perfect corner of Prague to sit down and truly listen to live music.
I’ll keep you well informed when the autumn season kicks off!
To see all the evening’s pictures click HERE!
