DELEGATES
As every year, Czech Music Crossroads will be attended by more than 3 dozen music business experts from all over the world. Performing musicians will thus have the opportunity to approach experienced managers, bookers, festival organizers and publicists. Some of them will also speak as part of the conference program .
Divya
BHATIA
INDIA | Artistic director, producer
Based in Mumbai, Divya Bhatia is an independent artistic director, producer and performing arts consultant. He is the Festival Director of Jodhpur RIFF, India’s leading international roots music and performing arts festival. Now in its 19th year, he has been instrumental in developing it into a successful global platform for Rajasthan’s traditional musicians as well as international roots artists performing in India.
A mentor and producer of the emerging Rajasthani folk group SAZ, he regularly produces, curates and promotes music and theatre in and from India, collaborating with artists, institutions and festivals around the world. Divya has directed numerous festivals and has served on juries for platforms such as WOMEX, IOMMA and the Aga Khan Music Awards. He is also the Director of Music Museum Projects at the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in Jodhpur and an Applied Theatre associate at the RCSSD (UK).
Educated in India, the United Kingdom and Canada, he has been a Hindustani classical tabla player and a character actor in Hindi cinema, including appearances in the films Paa (2009) and Talvar (2015, released internationally as Guilty).
Petra
BURTHEY
CZECHIA | Music manager, booking agent
Petra Burthey has been active in the music industry since 2010. She is a manager and booking agent for the ensemble Clarinet Factory and serves as production and booking agent for the band Tata Bojs. She also worked as manager for Czech artist Beata Hlavenková from 2014 to 2016.
In addition to her long-term work with musicians and bands, she has been involved in the production of the Shakespeare v Litomyšli theatre festival since 2024. Petra is a founding member of the Czech section of the Music Managers Forum (MMF ČR)
Götz
BÜHLER
GERMANY | Music journalist, author, presenter, advisor to jazzahead!
Götz Bühler is a music journalist, author, and radio/TV presenter known for hosting the Jazz thing Mixtape on ByteFM, OneJazz, and the German Jazz Prize broadcasts. He also serves as the Artistic Advisor to the jazzahead! trade fair, conference, and festival.
Held annually in Bremen, Germany, jazzahead! is the world’s largest gathering for the jazz industry. In 2026 it will celebrate its 20th anniversary, with Sweden as its partner country.
Andraž
KAJZER
SLOVENIA | Artistic director, festival manager, MENT Ljubljana
Andraž Kajzer is the artistic director and festival manager of MENT Ljubljana, a four-daymusic discovery festival and conference held in the Slovenian capital since 2015.
His previous experience ranges from serving beer and painting walls to running an indie label, editing a print magazine and a webzine, making a documentary about free music, working as a music journalist and attempting music criticism, promoting gigs, organizing smallinternational tours, and working as a sound technician.
Łukasz
KAŁĘBASIAK
POLAND | Director of Katowice City of Gardens
Since 2026 in charge of Katowice City of Gardens - Krystyna Bochenek Cultural Institution, with which he has been associated since 2012. The institution is the main organiser of cultural events in Katowice, including its own festivals such as the World Music Festival ‘Gardens of Sound’ and the Katowice JazzArt Festival.
Member of the team responsible for the creation of the winning application, thanks to which Katowice joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015, as the first Music City in Poland. He participated in the organization of such events as the WOMEX 2017 World Music Fair and the 2018 annual meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. As of 2019, he represents Katowice in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Co-author of Katowice's application for the European Capital of Culture 2029 competition and originator of its guiding concept Play!, which has resulted in Katowice and the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis being awarded the title of Polish Capital of Culture 2027.
Neveen
KENAVY
EGYPT | Founder and artistic director, She Arts Festival
Neveen is a cultural leader, artistic director, and founder of She Arts Festival, Egypt’s first international festival dedicated to women in the arts. She is a key figure in Egypt’scontemporary cultural scene, with extensive experience in cultural programming and festival management.
At the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Neveen serves as Artistic Director and General Coordinatorof the International Summer Festival and the Jazz Tales Festival. She has also worked as Artistic Consultant for Fabrica music theatre and is a member of the Advisory Committee at Centre Résonances – Égypte.
Her work focuses on women’s empowerment, cultural exchange, and innovation. She has developed mentorship programmes for emerging female artists, collaborated with major international institutions, and represented Egypt at global platforms. In 2020, she became the first Arab female jury member at Jazzahead in Bremen and continues to serve on juries for regional and international music competitions.
Neveen has earned multiple international recognitions, including selection by the German Embassy in Cairo (2022), the Recording Academy’s American Music Mentorship Program (2024), and the Japan Music and Cultural Exchange (2025). She holds a Diploma in Artistic Criticism, a Master’s in Film Music, and a certification in Strategic Planning.
Tatiana
LEHOCKÁ
SLOVAKIA | Concert promoter & booker
Since 2018, Tatiana Lehocká has been the conference director and booker of the music programme at the SHARPE music festival & conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. The festival focuses on emerging artists from Slovakia, Europe and beyond, while the conference reflects current trends and topics in the music industry.
She is also the booking agent for several notable acts from Slovakia and the Czech Republic, representing artists such as FVLCRVM (SK), Manon meurt (CZ), The Ills (SK) and others. Over the years, she has worked in artist management, tour management and concert promotion (Real Something), in festival production (International Animation Film Festival – Fest Anča) and in various roles at other festivals and events including Bratislava Design Week, Sensorium, BRAK – Bratislava Book Festival and JAMA.
Through her concert agency, she has brought artists such as Black Midi, XXYYXX, TTNG, Sóley, Sin Fang and many others to Slovakia. Over the past fifteen years, she has collaborated with numerous venues and organised concerts and performances for more than 200 artists from across the USA, Canada, Iceland, the UK, Scandinavia and mainland Europe.
Anna
MAŠÁTOVÁ
CZECHIA | Cultural Manager, Journalist, Lecturer, AMPromotions
Anna Mašátová is the editor of the ArtCafé program on Czech Radio Vltava, assistant professor at JAMU, and deputy editor-in-chief of the cultural magazine Uni. She serves as a jury member for the Czech Anděl Awards, the National Awards of the Ministry of Culture, Slovakia’s Radio_Head Awards (World Music and Folk), and WOMEX 2025.
She is the founder of AMPromotions, an agency focused on music PR, management, and booking. Anna is committed to educating musicians and professionals, developing infrastructure, and fostering networking platforms. She regularly speaks at international conferences such as WOMEX, MENT, and World Music Festival Bratislava, and has mentored in the MOST project. She also coordinates Crossing Borders in Music, a project for the European Capital of Culture České Budějovice 2028.
Lucia
MIKLASOVÁ
SLOVAKIA | Festival director/CEO, World Music Festival Bratislava
Lucia brings together a strong foundation in classical music and marketing with over 15 yearsof professional experience in marketing strategy and event production for both the public and private sectors.
In 2025, she joined the World Music Festival Bratislava as PR & Production Manager. She iscurrently the CEO of this event, which has been internationally awarded as Best World Music Festival 2025 just recently.
Lucia also founded and leads the artist management agency Artistiq, focused on the careerdevelopment of pop, folk and rock artists.
Yuta
NOMURA
JAPAN | Festival producer & conference director
Yuta Nomura is the CEO of SHIN Inc., a Tokyo-based creative agency producing music festivals, cultural programs, and international projects that connect Japan with the global music industry. He is the founder and organizer of CUEW Showcase & Conference, held annually every April in Shibuya, Tokyo. Through live performances, conference sessions, and networking opportunities, CUEW serves as an international platform linking artists from Japan and across Asia with music professionals worldwide. The April 2026 edition brought together more than 500 industry delegates and featured over 140 artists across multiple venues in Shibuya.
In Hyogo Prefecture, he produces and organizes two music festivals: ONE MUSIC CAMP and ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS. Since launching ONE MUSIC CAMP in 2010, he has been developing outdoor festivals rooted in local culture. In 2023, he launched ARIFUJI WEEKENDERS — a new festival where music resonates with nature — at Arimafuji Park, the largest urban park in Hyogo Prefecture.
Beyond these projects, he supports Japanese artists expanding overseas through festival bookings, tour coordination, and related activities, and produces Japan shows and entry support for international artists. His work focuses on fostering cross-cultural exchange and building a sustainable global network through music.
Michal
PAŘÍZEK
CZECHIA | Journalist, editor-in-chief of Full Moon magazine
Michal Pařízek is a music and arts journalist and the editor-in-chief of Full Moon magazine. He has been publishing since 2002, with his work appearing in outlets such as Aktualne.cz, Čilichili, Freemusic, Nedělní svět, Reflex, Týden, Uni and others. He also hosts programmes on Czech Radio Vltava and Radio 1. He has been part of Full Moon since its founding in 2010 and became its editor-in-chief in 2014. Michal also works as the curator and dramaturge of the Full Moon Stage at the Colours of Ostrava festival and other events, and since 2020 he has been co-organising the Moody Moon Noize festival.
From 2001 to 2023 he was a member of the promoter collective Scrape Sound and contributed to organising numerous concerts and events, mostly in Prague. In 2020 he published the book Uprostřed příběhu (In the Middle of the Story), a selection of texts from ten years of Full Moon. Since 2014 he has regularly served on grant committees of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Prague City Hall and the Slovak Arts Council.
Hanka
PODHORSKÁ
CZECHIA | Music Manager, Booking agent
Hanka Podhorská is a music manager and booking agent at Indies Production, part of theIndies Scope label, and a member of the programme board of SoundCzech.
In addition to organising concerts in the Czech Republic, she brings her artists to stagesacross the world (Mexico, India, Pakistan, Borneo, Réunion Island, Egypt) and regularly attends international showcase festivals and conferences.
She currently represents, among others, Dorota Barová, Hrubá Hudba, BraAgas, Zimnice, Kafka Band and Bratři.
Øivind Andersen
SJØVOLL
NORWAY | Board member, Tromsø World Festival
Øivind Andersen Sjøvoll, Board member of Tromsø World Festival, has been a manager and club organiser in Tromsø since 2002.
He has also been actively producing exquisitely formed and far-reaching music for the last two decades, releasing cosmically centred sounds on several labels.
His main monikers are Kohib and Ransel.
Marek
SZYMAŃSKI
POLAND | CSO, HR director, booker at Good Taste Production
Marek Szymański works as CSO, HR Director, and booker for Good Taste Production, a Polish promoter active since 2012. He has helped develop the company’s national and international roster and contributed to building its festival brands.
Good Taste promotes more than 200 shows annually across major Polish cities, focusing on pop, funk, and jazz artists. The company has also launched several festival brands from scratch, including BitterSweet Festival, Defender Salt Wave Festival, Jazz Around Festival, NEXT FEST Music Showcase & Conference, and the touring festival Santander Summer Sounds.
Jozefina
ŠARIĆ
CROATIA | Project manager at We Move Croatia, vocalist, DJ
Jozefina Šarić is a project manager at We Move Music Croatia and the SHIP Festival, as well as a vocalist and DJ with a background in audio engineering. She has gained experience at festivals such as Tallinn Music Week, PIN Music Conference, SHIP Festival and Seasplash, where she has contributed to event organisation and supported the local music community. She has also been part of the teams behind national music awards including Rock&Off, Elector and Porin.
Koki
TAKAHASHI
JAPAN | CEO, event producer & booking agent
Koki Takahashi is the CEO of KOKICIK LLC, a Yokohama-based company he founded in January 2025. KOKICIK focuses on event organization and production, booking agency services, festival management, visa support for artists, and original fragrance production. The company has produced the Tokyo Night Market in Yoyogi Park, launched and managed the new Orange Echo Stage at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL, and organized the Minami Aoyama EAT & JAZZ Street Festival in Minato City.
In August 2025, Koki co-launched the CUEW Showcase & Conference in Shibuya together with Yuta Nomura — a new showcase platform supporting Japanese artists in expanding their international careers and connecting domestic and global industry professionals.
He produced and organized a wide range of cultural and music events, including the Ryokō Keion concert series held at a traditional Noh theatre. He also programmed the mini-festival Zōbi Sakura Matsuri. In addition, he organized Chikadai Taiketsu at The Wall Taipei, and continued to expand his international collaborations across Asia.
Milan
TESAŘ
CZECHIA | Music director, curator, Radio Proglas
Milan Tesař has been working as the music director at Proglas Radio in Brno since 1995. In 2024 he became its programme director and one of its co-owners. Over the years he has produced several thousand interviews with musicians and numerous radio shows focusing on folk, jazz, world, blues and alternative music.
He also writes about music for variousmagazines and newspapers and collaborates with Czech Radio (the Czech Radio Jazz station).
He is the chief dramaturge of the Maraton hudby Brno festival and heads the Folk and Jazz section of the Czech music awards Anděl. He is a member of the expert panel of the World Music Charts Europe and has served as its chair since 2020.
Veronika
VALDOVÁ
CZECHIA | Booking manager, tour manager
Veronika works as a booking manager at Veve Booking, representing both Czech and international artists across a wide range of genres. She also works as a tour manager, with experience managing bands both in the Czech Republic and abroad. She has long been active in music management and concert organisation, and currently works with more than thirty projects, including Zooblasters—her primary focus—as well as Trombenik, MoveBreakers and Le Čhavendar. Among international acts, she collaborates with Savana Funk and Giufà.
She also represents the award-winning beatboxer Tiny Beat, DJ and producer Le Petit Nicolas, the tap dance group Cloggers, and the drumming show Tokhi & Groove Army. She is a member of the international organisation Music Managers Forum and vice-chair of the association RR, z. s. Her work combines a strong curatorial sense, deep knowledge of the music scene, and a human-centred approach, building long-term relationships between artists, promoters, and audiences.
Eric E.
VAN MONCKHOVEN
ITALY | CEO, consultant and booking agent, Music4You / World Music Lab
Eric E. Van Monckhoven is the CEO of Music4You / World Music Lab, which provides support services to entrepreneurial artists and independent agencies and organizations, including radio chart promotion, outreach support, booking assistance, coaching, and project facilitation.
He has more than 25 years of experience as a consultant, project manager, and grant writer in the field of social and cultural cooperation. For over 10 years, he also worked as a bookingagent in the world, folk, and jazz music sectors.
Eric is a board member of the European Folk Network and part of the coordination team of the European Folk Day.
He is based in Sicily, Italy. At Czech Music Crossroads 2026, he represents Kanazoe Orkestra.
Anna
VILANOVA
SPAIN | Project manager, curator
With a degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Cultural Policies, Anna has led the Professional Area of Fira Mediterrània de Manresa since 2014. Fira Mediterrània is the strategic fair for artistic proposals that draw on root sources, tradition and popular culture as drivers of creativity.
This multidisciplinary fair has three main itineraries: a music programme featuring Mediterranean, world music and folk scenes, highlighting new works from the Catalan roots landscape; a dance itinerary offering dynamic perspectives on traditional roots and folk culture; and a line devoted to memory, legacy and oral storytelling, including performance and outdoor arts such as theatre and circus. The Professional Area also serves as a meeting and exchange hub, acting as a point of contact and sales for both the performing arts and music sectors. The 28th edition will take place in the city of Manresa from 15 to 18 October2026.
Valentina
ZANELLI
ITALY | Festival director, cultural manager / Afrovision Festival | Torino Music Meeting Showcase Festival
Valentina Zanelli is a cultural management professional with a strong international focus and extensive experience in artistic direction, strategic planning, and the development of international cultural networks. As festival director and founder of AfroVision—an interdisciplinary platform dedicated to promoting Afro-descendant cultures—she founded in 2024 the Torino Music Meeting Showcase Festival, which fosters connections between musicians, cultural operators, festival directors, and the public through a participatory approach aimed at building European networks between emerging artists and live music venues.
Throughout her career, she has served as a counselor and advisor for international festivals, contributing to programming, institutional relations, and artistic direction. She collaborates with artistic organizations in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, and is involved in transnational projects such as MASA – Marché des Arts du Spectacle d’Abidjan, one of the most important African performing arts markets.
Her vision is grounded in ongoing dialogue between communities, territories, and contemporary artistic languages, with a strong focus on inclusion, identity, and cultural cooperation.
Zuzana
ŽIAKOVÁ
SLOVAKIA | Administration and Organization, World Music Festival Bratislava
Organizer, musician, and digital graphic designer with extensive experience in connecting music, design, and event management.
She studied film directing and animated film production, but music has always played a central role in her life—even during her studies. In 2020, she founded the civic association Zvukopriestor, focused on developing music and organizing concerts and workshops in Slovakia. That same year, she also founded the music group Neha!, with which she has been successfully performing in Slovakia and abroad for nearly five years. Since 2022, she has helped organize the World Music Festival Bratislava and represent the Slovak world music scene as part of the WOMUSK platform. She is a passionate advocate for bringing more tenderness into the world! :)