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Vladan Mijatovic

With a unique take on the Balkan musical tradition, progressive ornamentation, and polyrhythmic beats, Vladan has created a distinctive musical style incorporating a combination of acoustic and electric sounds.

About Me

VLADAN MIJATOVIC Bio 2018-2019

Serbian born, New York City-based jazz pianist and composer Vladan Mijatovic began playing piano at age seven as the latest incarnation of a generations-long dynasty steeped in the unique Balkan musical tradition. Being brought up at that part of the world where music is ornamental, melodious and vastly colorful, man is often bestowed with such unique skills and atypical abilities, in music.

As part of his musical background, Vladan has continuously combined music from Eastern Europe with the contemporary American jazz and classical music idioms, blending a fine fusion of the two. He has played around the world as a leader, sideman and as a solo pianist, and has built an international following with audiences who have come to expect a singular, extraordinary experience at his performances. Through his original iteration of the Balkan musical tradition, his personal playing technique, known just to Vladan, treatment of progressive ornamentation and poly-rhythmic beats, and the unique synthesis of his dynamic and sensitive spirit, Vladan Mijatovic has built a distinctive musical style which he expresses with the unique voice of his own.

After completing music school in his hometown, Vladan continued his education at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich (Jazz Piano), studying with legendary Russian jazz pianist Leonid Chizhik and graduating with honors. In 2010 he received a prestigious scholarship from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 2012 VLADAN earned a Master’s degree in music.

Since 2006 Vladan recorded and performed extensively both as part of his trio, with large ensembles, and as a soloist. Vladan was featured on a National Serbian Television, performing with the National Serbian Orchestra. In Serbia, that is one of the greatest musical honors. From 2009, his European trio started performing FOLK-MEETS-JAZZ- themed concerts. Next, he made a solo piano recording entitled “Mamazone” (music for woman battling breast cancer) released in Germany. LOFT Music, a major German music production company, organized a series of “Folk meets Jazz”, for which Vladan composed music closely linked to his native musical tradition.

Vladan Mijatovic is an award winning musician, winning the First Prize and the Best Jazz Musician in Munich (Germany) in 2010 and the third prize at the International Jazz Piano competition in Freiburg, Germany in 2012, as well as the first prize from the audience at the same competition. In October 2014, Vladan made his Carnegie Hall debut. The concert was sold out. In 2015 recorder his Solo Piano album “Ornaments”.

A couple of quotes about Vladan, from prominent American music critics:

“Ornaments, his solo piano debut is an expansive portrait of his unique style”. (The New York Jazz Record)

“To listen to his debut solo piano album is to be engulfed by the whirlwind that is Vladan”. (New York Jazz Record)

“His music mixes classical sensibility with Balkan folk music coupled with improvisation, making him end up sounding like a modern Balkan Chopin merged with Oscar Peterson”. (Budd Kompan, All About Jazz)

“He is blessed with seemingly limitless technique with which to express what feels like a bottomless well of emotions”. (Budd Kopman, All About Jazz)

“In the end, making music, any kind of music, is all about the performer connecting with his or her audience. This, Vladan does without question; his playing opens his heart to ours”. (Budd Kopman, All About Jazz)

“Vladan accomplishes an impressively seamless mash-up of Eastern European, Western Classical, and American jazz styles”. (C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz)

“Orchestral in scope, Vladan's pianism is muscular and virile, demonstrating a forceful kinetic energy that is highly listenable”. (C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz)

“His touch has a hint of his Balkan background-Eastern European classicism is felt on the warmth of his notes and lyricism”. (George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly)

“Vladan also recognizes the splendor and happiness that beautiful music can provide and to that end, he leaves a bit of his soul on the keys as he performs the music of this album”. (Edward Blanco, All About Jazz)

His solo piano album “Ornaments” is widely recognized and received many wonderful reviews as well. In 2017, “Ornaments” was featured on all international flights of the AirSerbia airlines and continues to be featured a year later, up until this day.

Vladan created a new trio project with the Grammy-winning drummer Robby Ameen and well-known Turkish-American composer and author of the “Virtuoso Series” books, Bugra Balci. The trio, Neptune, and their new album “Paranoid” will present a fusion between Latin, American Jazz, and Eastern European music. Vladan will be featured on a new recording of a American singer Lyn Christopher to be released by Paramount Records.

Vladan has joined CLASSIC ROCK LEGACY, an organization of seasoned Broadway, studio and touring musicians and vocalists performing music of the greatest classic rock artists. CRL members have played with such renowned artists as Eric Clapton, Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Toto, Chaka Khan, and many others. Vladan Mijatovic is a musical director of the CLR.

Vladan’s latest album release “Folk Legacy” is a three-piece band called V3. As this is the time in the music where everything is a mishap and fusions are born every day, V3 is admirably bending boundaries between traditional Eastern European. Very specific and distinguish (Balkan) folk music and contemporary American Jazz music, taking the traditional “temper”, odd rhythms and lyrical melodies of such music and adventurously teleporting them into the present time of the “World Jazz music.”

“Connect” is the second album Vladan released in 2017 for the Kabak & Lin Records with his quintet “Psychaudio”. Psychaudio is an electric jazz band with the long-term residency at one of the legendary jazz clubs in Manhattan, Nublu Jazz Club, among others. They also performed at the many jazz festivals including, Nublu Jazz Festival in 2016 and 2017 as well as New York Winter Jazz Festival.

Vladan Mijatovic has amply demonstrated his skills by touring, playing with spontaneity, enjoying one of the humans biggest miracles called music and by creating entertainment for a mass audience all around the world. To quote one of the greatest American Jazz Pianist ever Richie Beirach: “Vladan is a exceptionally extraordinary artist”.

Vladan’s goal is spreading the music all around the world and one day make it free. As he said: “Music should be free, it is a gift from God”. Musicians will still be able to get the deserved rewards by giving live performances and playing concerts.

Besides being a musician and composer, Vladan is also a philanthropist. Known for his donation to the charity and performing at many charity events. To name a few, Rebuild Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Manhattan Saint Sava - Charity event, performing a concert for the 9/11 memorial, playing for the children and much more. In 2014 Vladan donated all of his earnings from the Carnegie Hall concert to the poor. 

For more information, please visit www.vladan.com or www.vladanmijatovic.com Contact: [email protected] Booking: [email protected]