Luca Kézdy
Luca Kézdy was born in Győr, northwest Hungary, where she started her classical violin studies at the age of six. Later she studied aesthetics and philpsophy at the ELTE University’s liberal arts department. She placed in the finals in the first national Jazz Violin Competition held by the Hungarian Radio in 2006, where she won the Audience Prize. She has been playing with her band Santa Diver (violin-bass-drums) since 2006, and played at the most respected festivals and jazz clubs in Hungary, at many venues around Europe, and at the Chelsea Music Festival in New York. She is in more genres like jazz, free improvisation, pop and fusion. She works with several bands and musicians, and also gives solo and duo concerts as well, in 2016 she had a duo performance with Chris Potter in New York. She is best known for her unique and inventions, and anything but traditional playing style. Luca is an extraordinary talent with a very special musical approach and individual style. One of the most frequented employed violin players in Hungary. As a classical music trained artist she combines her technical facilities with some other influences from jazz, European folk, blues, odd- metered Balkanian music and combines perfectly the sound of the acoustic violin with some added modern music effects from a multi-effect pedal.
In 2016, 2017, 2018 one of Hungary’s most respected jazz magazine choosed Luca as “the violinist of the year”. In 2019 she won the Performer's Price from Artisjus (Hungarian PRO).
In 2016, 2017, 2018 one of Hungary’s most respected jazz magazine choosed Luca as “the violinist of the year”. In 2019 she won the Performer's Price from Artisjus (Hungarian PRO).
Tags
"The latest album of the trio is well structured and includes compositions with a great dynamic range as
well as meditative pieces arranged side by side, altogether adding up to an extraordinarily rich musical
material which features virtuoso playing and exceptional finesse of composition. Luca Kézdy is elemental
while sensitive, her dynamic variations and mood registers dominate the album, with her worthy
companion David Szesztay, whose effected bass music counterpointing the violin parts. The precise,
playful and smart drum playing of David Szegő makes the whole picture even more exciting. This is real
fusion music, where the individual compositions have been built on the ground of improvised jazz, several
kinds of exotic styles and sometimes the good old trusted blues-based rock. (...)
As we go on with the mostly big-picture-like songs filled with sounds, compositions (just to mention the
tight and dramatic Wintersong and the almost epic-like ESD, which blend different styles in a very fluent
way) it becomes all the more obvious that this well-respected concert band recorded one of the most
powerful Hungarian jazz albums of 2020.” (Barotányi Zoltán, Magyar Narancs 2020. march 12.)
Esbjorn Svensson
piano
