Simon Trpceski’s latest album Friendship comes out of a strong sense of belief, stemming from his country’s struggle throughout the age, his love for music, his faith in humanity’s inner strength and, above all, his friends and colleagues who made this recording happen. Mirroring this confidence-embracing approach, the neatly curated repertoire includes Brahms’s fiery Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, a work full of love, power and boldness. Connesson’s jaw-dropping Divertimento is presented in a fantastic newly available arrangement by percussionist Vlatko Nushev. And sandwiched between the two, Pande Shahov’s three-movement Quintet ends in a triumphant manner. Simon Trpceski is joined by his fellow MAKEDONISSIMO musicians Alexander Somov (cello), Hidan Mamudov (clarinet) and Vlatko Nushev (percussion), as well as Sorin Spasinovici (viola) and Gjorgi Dimchevski (violin).