Marko Čepak

Marko Čepak (born in Slovenia) is an internationally renowned guitarist, composer, and teacher. He graduated in jazz with a thesis on original music and obtained a master's degree (110/100 cum laude) in jazz guitar at the G. Tartini Conservatory in Trieste. His thesis focused on harmonic substitution techniques in original compositions.

Throughout his studies, he worked with professors such as Marc Abrams, Stefano Bellon, Riccardo Chiarion, Klaus Gesing, Giovanni Maier, and others. He also attended seminars with renowned musicians like Stefano Bollani, Jarrod Cagwin, Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone. Outside of his studies, he further honed his skills with world-famous guitarists, including Gilad Hekselman, Peter Bernstein, Lage Lund, and Adam Rogers, performing with some of them, like John Stowell and Nelson Veras.

In 2017, Marko recorded the album Ghost in the Corner with guitarist John Stowell and regularly performs across Europe. As a band leader he has recorded his debut album in 2016, called Makia Planet and since then continues to compose and record his original music.  He has also conducted many masterclasses in Slovenia and Italy. Marko has played and still collaborates with important musicians in the jazz scene, including , John Stowell, Doug Webb Riccardo Chiarion, Nelson Veras, Romain Pilon, Anthony Pinciotti, Jure Pukl, Marko Churnchetz, Howard Curtis, Andrea Michelutti and has performed at prestigious festivals and events across Slovenia, Italy, and abroad.

Between 2015 and 2019, he was part of Rachel Gould's European quartet. In 2023, he taught at the Jazz Clinic Velenje alongside top musicians like Mike Moreno, Johnattan Kreisberg and Nelson Veras. Marko has also performed with the RTV Slovenian Big Band, recording original music with his jazz fusion group, Artbeaters. In 2018 with the big band Gverillaz he won first prize top class at international bigband competition in Amsterdam, playing also his original music. In 2019, he played in  Slovenia and Italy with his idol, Brazilian guitarist Nelson Veras.

In recent years, Marko has performed at major events with his original projects and as a band member at festivals in Slovenia, Italy, and beyond.




ISOS 1st prize at "Chicco Bettinardi" Competition



 The "Isos" quintet wins double 1st prize (both the critics and public) on national "Chicco Bettinardi" competition dedicated to the best new jazz musician in Italy.

"While carrying a traditional sound highly influenced by the modern New York jazz scene "Isos" brought to the stage two original tunes and a jazz standard "Orange Was the colour of her dress then silk blue" written by the late Charles Mingus: great are the compositions and arrangements and so the interplay between the quintet united in the same musical direction."

The band is formed by Riccardo Pitacco (trombone), Luca Bellodi (trumpet), Gabriele de Leporini (guitar) Alessio Zoratto (Double bass) and Francesco Vattovaz (drums), all highly active musicians on the jazz scene.

Read more here:

https://www.triesteallnews.it/2025/02/gruppo-isos-concorso-nazionale-bettinardi-giovani-talenti-jazz/




Jazz Guitar Today’s Joe Barth talks to Slovenian jazz guitarist Marko Čepak Maki.

 We are thrilled to share a captivating interview done bi Jazz Guitar Today's Joe Barth with Marko Čepak Maki.


"JGT’s Joe Barth talks to Slovenian jazz guitarist Marko Čepak Maki.

Slovenia is known for its beautiful mountains and lakes, but there is also a lot of beautiful music there. Jazz is alive and well in its capital, Ljubljana, and elsewhere around the country, and if you are listening to jazz on the guitar, you may very well be listening to Marko Čepak Maki. Marko keeps himself busy performing many expressions of jazz, from modern to ragtime, big band, and more.

JB:  Growing up in Slovenia what inspired you to play jazz guitar?

MM:  I’ve been inspired by many different people and music experiences I gained through the years. Although the jazz scene in Slovenia, especially in the part where I grew up, was not so widespread, jazz music somehow found its way to me.

My parents enrolled me in a music school where I learned classical guitar. My teacher soon noticed my enthusiasm and persuaded my mother to pay for extra private electric guitar lessons where I learned modes and the basics of improvisation." -Jazz Guitar Today


You can read the full interview here: