Darko Jurkovic - Charlie

Darko Jurkovic was born on April 20, 1965 in Rijeka, Croatia. He studied the violin in lower music school, finishing in 1979. He started playing the guitar as a self-taught fifteen year old. Jurkovic first became interested in jazz at the age of 17, soon after embracing a special technique known as “two hands tapping,” developed by American guitarist Stanley Jordan. In 1990, Jurkovic enrolled in the jazz department of the Academy of Music in Graz (Austria), graduating in 1997 with the master’s degree in arts (Magister der Kunst). Already during his studies, Jurkovic was recognized at many international performances including "Jazz Herbst Wien" (Austria, 1993) "Raab Jazz Festival" (Austria, 1994), "Bologna Festival of Acoustic Guitars” (Italy, 1996). Throughout his career, Jurkovic has collaborated with Top Croatian jazz musicians, including Kruno Levacic, Tonci Grabusic, Henry Radanovic, Sasa Nestorovic as well as international jazz greats like Gene Jackson, Mario Fragiacomo, Comisso Angelo, Roberto Magris, Bobby Watson, Herb Geller, Dusko Gojkovic, Frantisek Uhlir, Jaromir Helesic, Michael Hauser and many others. Darko Jurkovic is a Croatian musician with most appearances abroad (approximately fifty per year). He has performed in Europe, Chile and Brazil.

COLLABORATIONS For many years, Jurkovic was part of Europlan Orchestra, recording three albums, the last of which featured legendary American saxophonist Herbo Geller. Since 2002, he works with Czech musicians Frantisek Uhlir and Jaromir Helešic (Trio Juh), touring Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Italy and Turkey. Together, the trio records three CDs, including a concert performance held for the president of Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus and featuring brass legend, Dusko Gojkovic. The concert’s recording is released several months later under the title “Jazz Prague Castle 2006” (Multisonik, Prague 2006). In 2008, Trio Juh’s “Maybe Later” comes out in production of Arts Records from Prague. Well-known Italian magazine "Musica Jazz" features Jurkovic on a promotional CD released on the occasion of the Festival Jazz In'it from Vignole (Modena, Italy 2008). In 2010, Jurkovic joins forces with the award winning Croatian producer Silvio Pasaric, for the first time recording an album on which he plays the tapping technique on a two guitars at once. Album “Alla Maniera” is released in 2010. It features solo and trio performances with Kruno Levacic on drums and Henry Radanovic on a double bass.

Awards

AWARDS Jurkovic has won seven “Status” awards for best Croatian jazz guitarists for 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008. He was also the recipient of “Porin Award” (Croatian “Grammy”) for best instrumental performance (original arrangement for solo guitar, “Cantando no toro”). Together with Quartet Sensitive he was nominated for two other “Porins.”

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