Biography
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Born
6 February 1987 (age 37)
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Born In
Kranj, Slovenia
Pianist and composer Kaja Draksler was born in Kranj, Slovenia.
Currently she is studying classical composition at The Conservatory of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She obtained her Bachelor Degree of Jazz Piano with honors at Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen, The Netherlands in June 2009.
In 2008 she was spending a semester at Purchase Collage in New York, studying jazz piano. In 2005 she finished High School for Music in Ljubljana (jazz department) and Diocesan Classical Gymnasium Ljubljana.
In 2010 she premiered (as pianist and composer) her Concerto for Piano and Katarchestra entitled "Perseus". From September till December 2009 she was living in New York, studying privately with Vijay Iyer and Jason Moran. In November 2009 she released her third record as a leader with Acropolis Quartet and guest Sanem Kalfa- "Turku". In April 2009 she won the prestigious Deloitte Jazz Award. Same year she was working with Vince Mendoza and Metropole Orchestra on Arrangers' Workshop. In summer 2008 she released her second album "Akropola", presenting original compositions with her quartet. The release was followed by a tour in Slovenia (Jazz festival Ljubljana, Jazz Lent Maribor, Keltika festival Cerkno, Jazzinty Festival,…) and concerts in The Netherlands (among others in Concertgebouw Amsterdam). Since 2007 she's been working with European Movement Jazz Orchestra for which she's been commissioned to write music. In 2007 she released her first CD with her group Katarchestra (presenting herself as a composer and conductor). The same year she composed a Concerto for accordion and orchestra entitled Orpheus and Eurydice, recorded and performed by Janez Dovc and Slovenian Philharmony Orchestra.
She is the leader of Acropolis Quartet, the leader and conductor of Katarchestra and co-leader of BadBooshBand. She is as well an active member of EMJO. She's working as a composer with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, EMJO, Big Band RTV Slovenia, Metropole Orchestra, Romana Krajncan, Jararaja, Janez Dovc, Vipava Tamburice Orchestra…
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