Results for "Balkan Jazz"

East of West

Vasil Hadzimanov

Born: June 23, 1973

Vasil’s concept of mixing Balkan traditional, folk rhythms and melodies with modern musical styles (most originating from the west, including: jazz; funk; avant garde; electronica; rock; trance; and more) has been the impetus for creating his own unique "musical hybrid," of sorts. This sophisticated sonic stew is completely original, authentic and embraces a bold new approach to musical expression within the context of the fusion and jazz genres.

It was this vision that inspired him to form The Vasil Hadzimanov Band, back in 1995 — when they made their first recordings and began performing live.

Nicol River

Born: December 3, 1997

Nicol River is a composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and director. She has recorded an album of jazz standards and has released several singles which have received an overwhelmingly positive response by her audience.

Nicol River's music can be described as 'contemporary folk', as she draws her inspiration from traditional music across the world including Balkan, Indian, Celtic and Nordic music, and translates it all to modern arrangements. Her lyrics delve into the philosophical complexities of life and death, joy and sorrow, spread across experimental harmonies and atypical time signatures.

​Nicol is the Director of River Music School London, the founder and co-organiser of the Young Cats Jazz Workshop at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and a governor at the Wandle Learning Trust.

Karlo Ilic

Born: December 19, 1990

Milen Kirov

Described as a “pianist with superhuman coordination,” Dr. Milen Kirov is an award-winning Bulgarian- American performer, composer, and educator with an inimitable artistic voice and celebrated creative output. His career redefines the role of the performer-composer in 21st century by transcending genres, labels, and artistic boundaries. Combining his Bulgarian music heritage and concert pianist background with contemporary composition, jazz, world music, and improvisation, Dr. Kirov has carved a thriving career as a unique and respected artist.

Milen Kirov has won awards from the Bulgarian National Radio Composition Competition; Bulgarian National Music Competition “Sv

Aleksandar Jovanovic Shljuka

Born: May 4, 1978

• Aleksandar Jovanović Šljuka - pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, was born in Zaječar in 1978, where he began his musical career doing solo performances, and with the Alegorian Jazz band in 1999, with which he revived jazz playing in Zajecar after a decades-long break (which was also recorded on one of the public recordings of the radio show "All That Jazz" on Radio Belgrade 202). • Since 2004, he has been working with the band Coolares, with which he has had more than a thousand club and concert performances throughout Serbia and the surrounding countries. • In 2009, he founded the jazz trio Woodcock Group, with which he began his composer career, and performed throughout Serbia, and in 2011 this trio released the album Water Stories, for the label Sunset Jazz Recordings from New York. • In 2012 he joins the Serbian Jazz BRE! project as a pianist, composer and arranger

Tihomir Stojiljkovic

Born: February 19, 1972

Tihomir Stojiljkovic: The Modern Voice of Balkan Jazz

Serbian pianist and composer Tihomir Stojiljkovic offers a fresh and captivating look at the rich musical traditions of the Balkans, seamlessly blending them with the improvisational spirit of modern jazz. His solo piano performances are virtuosic and deeply emotional. They guide the audience through intricate Balkan melodies, rhythms, and folklore, all tastefully reimagined through contemporary music.

Tihomir's trilogy, including 'Solo', 'Solo Update ', and 'Solo Upgrade', showcases his ability to tell timeless stories through the piano

Saso Popovski

Born: August 12, 1977

The music of Saso Popovski is music of pure lines, concluded structures and lush imagination. Rhythmically and also melodically, his music alludes to Oriental patterns, which makes it a bit mystical. But there is nothing hermetically in it, as some of these kind of music excursions to Orient can be... Popovski organizes his compositions around a beautifully derived, clear, appealing melodious line, which is unmistakably supported by a bass player with a velvet sound and a drummer with consistent, concentrated rhythmization. Popovski finely enhance the basic river-like melody, carefully meanders through its possible by-paths and streams, but never loses the basic thread

Zoran Majstorovic

Born: September 29

-“PORIN” award with his band as the best overall new music artist in Croatia -“Damir Dičić” award as the best Croatian jazz guitar player -“Status” award as the best Croatian etno musician/instrumentalist -“Miroslav Sedak Bencic” award as the most prominent Croatian jazz composer Jazz musician, guitarist, multiinstrumentalist, sound artist, arranger and composer, begins to play guitar at the age of 9, and plays professionally since the age of 13. His first guitar teacher was his father, a well known guitar player in Rijeka area during 1960’s and 1970’s. Later on he studied with the most prominent guitar players in Croatia and studied with and/or attended workshops of many world famous guitar players like Scott Henderson, Robben Ford, Marc Ribot, Sid Jacobs, Kurt Rosenwinkel… After playing shortly in some demo-bands he joins, at the age of 14, a pop-rock group called “Teens” and stays with that band for 7 years.During those years the band played hundreds of concerts in Croatia and abroad, winning many awards in Croatia and internationally (most notable Porin 2000.g.), releasing 3 cd’s, gaining high popularity and appearing on numerous music festivals in many different countries. In the years that followed he collaborates with many famous singers, mostly in Croatia, takes part in different projects, recordings and orchestras in Croatia and internationally