Results for "Vienna"

Adrian Varady

Born: December 8, 2001

Born on December 8, 2001, into a Hungarian Roma family in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia, Adrian Varady has emerged as a powerful and distinctive voice in contemporary jazz. Raised in a deeply musical environment, his artistic journey began at the age of eight when his father gifted him a keyboard. While this marked his first step into music, it was the drums that soon became his true voice.

Largely self-taught and driven by curiosity and instinct, Adrian developed his craft on a small blue sparkle drum kit, immersing himself in listening, imitation, and experimentation from an early age. His exceptional musical awareness quickly became evident, and at just nine years old, he won his first concert performance at a jazz festival in Frankfurt — an early sign of the remarkable path ahead.

Maja Jaku

Born: October 24, 1971

Maja Jakupovic, known artistically as Maja Jaku, is an internationally acclaimed jazz and soul vocalist, composer, bandleader, and distinguished university professor. With a voice described as cinematic, fearless, and deeply truthful, she is regarded as one of Europe’s most compelling contemporary jazz artists—an expressive storyteller whose artistry transcends cultural and musical boundaries.

Born on October 24 in Kosovo into a family rich in artistic tradition, Maja’s extraordinary talent revealed itself early. By the age of seven, she was already winning music festival awards, and at fourteen she formed her first band. At eighteen, during the Yugoslav wars, she made a courageous and life-defining decision to travel alone to Austria to pursue her calling in jazz.

Sophie Hassfurther

A compelling and adventurous voice in contemporary European jazz and improvised music, Austrian saxophonist Sophie Hassfurther blends deep compositional insight with fearless improvisation. Born near Salzburg in, Hassfurther studied saxophone and flute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She further expanded her artistic horizons through her involvement in New York’s vibrant music scene. 

Hassfurther’s work is characterised by its wide stylistic reach, bridging jazz, contemporary classical sensibilities, and free improvisation. As a bandleader and composer, she has developed a rich body of original music, from her early ensemble projects to recent large-scale works that situate improvised interplay alongside structured compositional frameworks. Her music has been featured at major festivals and venues across Europe and beyond, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Wien Modern, and Moers Festival. 

Czarakcziew and the Jazz Cats: A Tribute to Fred Katz

by Pawel Czarakcziew
May 20, 2025

I've always thought that musicians (if they are sincere), draw from the same source. No matter what genre (classical, jazz, rock) they are in, it's the same well. In my book The Seekers--Meetings with Remarkable Musicians, I write a chapter on Fred Katz, my old college professor and more importantly, the cello player in the Chico ...

Barbara Bruckmüller Jazz Orchestra, feat. Aruán Ortiz: A Chain of Moments

by Artur Moral
May 1, 2025

Julio Cortázar's Rayuela (1963), Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (2000) and Chris Ware's Building Stories (2012) are novels--both written and graphic--that stand out, not just for their literary merit, but also for the various ways readers can engage with them. A similar phenomenon occurs on the listening level with A Chain Of Moments: Suite in ...

Enrique Thompson

Born: January 10, 1982

Enrique Thompson is an Argentinian saxophonist, EWI performer, composer, and improvisation artist known for his versatility across various musical genres. He has led and performed with ensembles spanning orchestras, chamber music, jazz groups, blues, rock, Latin American music, tango, saxophone quartets, African, electronic, and experimental music. His compositions extend to film scores, theater pieces, and multidisciplinary projects throughout Latin America and Europe.

Thompson's formal education includes classical saxophone studies at La Plata’s Conservatory and composition at La Plata National University in Argentina. He has further honed his craft through courses and private lessons with esteemed musicians such as Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Carlos "Mono" Fontana, Paquito D’Rivera, Carlos Michelini, and Anibal Arias.

Victoria Kirilova

A double bass player and composer, Victoria is an active musician in the Viennese and European music scene. Her music is a mixture of various influences – from the diversity of harmonies and timbres in contemporary jazz and chamber music to the poetry and groove of traditional Bulgarian chants and odd rhythms. Inspired by themes of peace, equality, and the balance between tradition and innovation, in her album “Roots&Skies” (Da Vinci Records 2025) she aims to find connections between the local and global through her compositions.

MUK Vienna, and Milan Conservatory alumna, Victoria has earned prestigious accolades including the Start-Scholarship from the Austrian Ministry of Art and Culture, the Fidelio Competion (Vienna), and the Italian National “Premio delle Arti”.

Victoria has appearances at international festivals, such as Bergamo Jazz, Firenze Jazz Festival, Lucca Jazz, Jazz en el Parque (Bogota), Medejazz (Medellin), Amman Jazz Festival, Musiqa 3al Daraj (Petra), Kultursommer(Vienna), Novara Jazz, A to Jazz Festival(Sofia), and venues such as BOZAR, Brussels, Musikverein, Konzerthaus Vienna, Wenshui Art Hall, Taipei

Barbara Bruckmueller

Barbara Bruckmüller, a composer and jazz pianist born in Vienna, was influenced by the sounds of "Hollywood Jazz" from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s at a young age. Although she received piano lessons early on and studied intensively for seven years, it took some time for her to discover her true passion for jazz. She successfully completed her jazz piano studies with Paul Urbanek at the Gustav Mahler Conservatory in Vienna in 2004, marking the beginning of a remarkable musical journey.

Barbara's inspiration and role models lie not so much in individual pianists, but rather in great Big Band leaders and composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Oliver Nelson, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Gil Evans, Joe Henderson, and Maria Schneider.

Ali Hossein Mahdavi

Born: June 29, 1996

http://www.alihossein.com     

Ali Hossein Mahdavi, born in Tehran in 1996, is a Vienna based composer, pianist, and producer whose music bridges Iranian traditions, chamber music, and contemporary jazz. His compositions are marked by intricate harmonies, rhythmic complexity, and innovative instrumentation, blending cultural depth with modern sensibilities. Known for his dynamic performances with his different bands, Ali Hossein regularly captivates audiences with a fusion of structured composition and vibrant improvisation. His album "BISTOHAFT" highlights his ability to craft rich, emotive soundscapes, combining lyrical melodies with unexpected rhythmic and harmonic shifts.

Clemens Rofner

Born: September 14

Clemens Rofner studied electric and upright bass in Innsbruck, Linz and Vienna. He works as a freelance-musician and as a member of bands like HI5, Manu Delago, Indian Air, Dusha Connection & Jakob Zimmermann Trio. As sideman he worked with Jazzorchester Tirol, Mino Cinelu, Franz Hackl, Adam Holzman, Kristjan Järvi & Absolute Ensemble, Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Florian Bramböck and Manu Delago Handmade – to name a few. Furthermore Clemens Rofner was involved in musical and theater-productions at Tiroler Landestheater, Wiener Kammerspiele / Theater in der Josefstadt, Blue Moon Tour / Landgraf & Tiroler Volksschauspiele; and as MD at the Floridsdorfer Kulturherbst