Bojan Z

Bojan Z
Bojan Z (piano)
When a pianist like Bojan Z appears on the scene, with his singular artistic language, laden with all the density of mature Jazz vocabulary, and imbued with subtle folkloric doses of Balkan influence, he leaves an indelible trace on all the groups with which he engages, and also revolutionises the world of Jazz. This is what happened with this native of Belgrade, a true pioneer of the fusion of Jazz with Balkan music, who decided to shorten his surname (Zulfikarpasic), while expanding his musical creativity. His splendid compositions, outside of the normal trappings of piano playing, confirm his status as a unique Jazz pianist and as a musician who embodies a remarkably broad palette of influences.
With Texier, Portal and Lourau, with his own band, within a trio, or on his own, Bojan Z has performed in festivals of such renown as The Montreal Jazz Festival, The North Sea Jazz Festival, The Paris Jazz Festival, The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Jazz in Marciac, The Festival de la Roque-d’Antheron... And at famous concert venues such as the Palau de la Música, in Barcelona, and The Konzerthaus, in Vienna. He has also received numerous awards, among them the Victoires du Jazz prize in France for his piano solo album, Soul Shelter (2012), and was granted the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He also won the Hans Keller European Jazz Prize as the Best European Jazz Musician, and the Prix Django Reinhardt from the Académie du Jazz, of France.
This will be his third time at Jazzaldia, having previously been here in 2007 and 2020. On this occasion, the Balkan artist will give two performances: one as part of the Pianoforte quartet, on July 23, and the other a piano solo performance in the magnificent cloister of The San Telmo Museum, on July 24. Two chances to enjoy the music of this extraordinary artist, an exceptional pianist, without doubt one of the references in European Jazz today.