DSI Swinging Europe European Orchestra 2011 European Jazz Orchestra

Draft biographies / Personal notes of 14th February 2011 Self-Governing Institution Swinging Europe

Conductor Nørregade 7D DK-7400 Jere Laukkanen Herning Finnish Denmark

Born 1963 in Helsinki, Finland T.: +45 6094 1236 Currently based in Helsinki, Finland E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk Although Jere Laukkanen is probably best known for his work in combining modern jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms, he has a long history of various musical activities. As a youth he played SE/CVR Nr.:32978665 flute and alto sax, studied drums, recorded as a singer, guitar player and bandleader, and Bank: Handelsbanken then commenced professional studies on the bass at the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory. Reg.: 7621 Laukkanen later concentrated on composing and arranging, with Henrik Otto Donner ao. as Konto Nr.: 2137244 his teacher, and studied conducting with Maria Schneider. Laukkanen continued his studies at the Sibelius Academy, where he earned a Master of Music degree in Jazz Composition. Currently he is writing a doctoral dissertation on jazz rhythm at the Doctoral Study Program of Music and Drama in Finland. Jere Laukkanen is currently working as Head of Degree Programme and Senior Lecturer at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Degree Programme in Pop and Jazz Music. He is a much sought-after arranger, composer and conductor, and has written for all major Finnish television channels and numerous orchestras, including UMO Jazz Orchestra, Vantaa Pops Orchestra, and Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Besides his own band, Jere Laukkanen Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, for which he is the sole composer and arranger, he has conducted jazz orchestras like UMO, Berklee Jazz Composers’ Big Band (USA), Radio Romania Big Band, and Estonian Dream Big Band. www.jerelaukkanen.com

Lead trumpet Bjarke Nikolajsen Danish

Born 1984 in Esbjerg, Denmark Currently based in Esbjerg, Denmark Bjarke Nikolajsen started playing trumpet in the age of 10, in the Legoland Marching band in

Billund, DK. Here he learned the trumpet basics. He joined the conservatory big band in Esbjerg in 2002. When he was 16 years old, he began to listen to jazz music, primarily New Orleans jazz. Bjarke started studying at the Music academy in Esbjerg taught by Kasper

Tranberg, Marc Bernstein, Jakob Buchanan, and Jens Winther, After his graduation as Bachelor, he went to The Hague, Holland for a year as an exchange student. The year in The Hague gave Bjarke the opportunity to play lead in the conservatory big band, and get lessons from some of the best jazz musicians in Europe such as Jarmo Hoogendijk, Philip Harper and John Ruocco. Currently Bjarke is finishing his masters’ study in Esbjerg, Denmark. www.myspace.com/bjarkenikolajsen

Trumpet Quentin Ghomari French Born 1984 in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France Currently based in Pantin, France

Quentin Ghomari started playing the trumpet at the age of 10. At the Conservatoire National DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra Supérieur de Musique in he studied with Riccardo Del Fra, Glenn Ferris, François Theberge, Hervé Sellin and Dré Paellmerts. He got his degree ''Master of Jazz & Musiques Self-Governing Institution Improvisées'' in 2010. He is part of a group of artists : musicians, painters, dancers called ''Les Swinging Europe Vibrants défricheurs'', in Normandy ; he works within bands such as ''Papanosh" or "Le Gros Bal", among others and collaborates to different projects. He is also present on the Parisian Nørregade 7D DK-7400 jazz scene with different kinds of bands : ''Romain Lay Quartet", "Ultraia Octet", "Stories Herning From The West Side", "Trevor & Lisa", "Ping Machine Big Band", "Ivan Jullien Big Band" and Denmark others. He won in the last summer the 2d Band and Composition Prize with "Papanosh" at T.: +45 6094 1236 the "Concours National de Jazz de la Défense 2010". E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk www.myspace.com/quentinghomari SE/CVR Nr.:32978665

Trumpet Bank: Handelsbanken Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 British Born 1983 in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, UK Currently based in ,

Hayden Powell is originally English but has lived in Norway since he was two years old. He started playing the trumpet when he was 8, and performed regularly with his father, who is a church organist. At 12 he started playing traditional jazz, playing concerts in Norway, Scandinavia and the UK and eventually releasing four albums with the group "Dixi". After specializing in music at school, Hayden studied at the Music Conservatory (NTNU) for a bachelors’ degree in jazz. Here, he met many new influences and now likes to mix any genre he can into a basis of Nordic contemporary jazz. In the spring of 2011, he will graduate from the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo with a masters degree in performing jazz. Hayden appears regularly on the Norwegian jazz scene with his own quartet, the band "Magic Pocket" and with the , with whom he has released many records. His own debut record is scheduled for release during the summer of 2011. He has played with many great musicians, amongst them , , , , , , and Django Bates. Hayden is also a composer, writing music for his own bands as well as for big band, wind bands, and arranging strings and horns for pop records. In 2009, he received a commission through Magic Pocket to compose music for the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra at the jazz festival 2010. www.haydenpowell.com

Trumpet Simon Millerd Canadian Born 1987 in North Vancouver, Canada

Currently based in Montreal, Canada Simon started playing trumpet when he was 11 years old, and soon after became passionate about jazz after being given a Clifford Brown CD. Through highschool he studied classical trumpet with Dawn Hage and briefly with Brad Turner, attended summer jazz workshops, but never received any formal training from a post secondary institution. By the time he graduated highschool he had been awarded the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Galaxy Rising Star Award, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Financial Group Award for Excellence in Jazz, the top jazz prize at national competition MusicFest Canada - the Yamaha Kando Award, and the National (USA) Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Silver Award.

He has been fortunate to have played in and been very inspired by his peers in the Clifford

Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship, the National Youth AllStar Jazz Ensemble, and the Yamaha DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra AllStar Band, among others. He currently lives in Montreal and leads his own quintet performing original music. Self-Governing Institution Swinging Europe Lead trombone Christine Carlsson Nørregade 7D DK-7400 Swedish Herning Born 1984 in Segersta, Sweden Denmark

Currently based in Sweden T.: +45 6094 1236 Christine started to play the cello when she was 6 years old. When she was 9 years old she E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk was forced to play the trombone by her father in a school orchestra , and she hated it! But as time went on, the trombone took more and more over, and the cello ended up in the closet. SE/CVR Nr.:32978665

Pretty soon she realized that jazz music was here thing. In the age of 16 she moved to a Bank: Handelsbanken bigger town to study jazz on full time in high school. Now, ten years later she has recently Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 graduate from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm after 4 years of studies. She plays with many different bands all over Sweden, among them Norrbotten big band led by trumpet player Tim Hagans. At the moment she works on her own project where she writes own composition. www.myspace.com/titticarlsson

Trombone Patrick Kenny British Born 1989 in Edinbourg, Scotland, United Kingdom Currently based in , United Kingdom Patrick Kenny began playing the trombone from the age of 12 first being taught by his father, John Kenny. He currently is in his third year of study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (primarily studying with Eric Crees) and has studied at the Paris Conservatoire (Gilles Milliere) and St Mary’s Music School. Ensembles/orchestra’s that that Patrick has played with/plays with include the London Sinfonietta Academy, Paris Conservatoire Orchestra,

Guildhall ensembles, Funkshone, Ronak Baja Indian Fusion Band, National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra, Dartington Festival Orchestra, Red Shift Jazz Trombone Quintet, Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and Brighton Early Music

Festival. This has given him the opportunity to perform across the world including venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kings Place (London) Usher Hall (Edinburgh), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, National Exhibition Centre (Toronto),

Gateway of India (Mumbai), Salle Playel (Paris), Leipzig Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Sofia Live Club. He is also a composer and arranger including his work turbulent times receiving a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In his spare time Patrick likes to exercise and socialise.

Trombone Vid Žgajner Slovenian Born 1985 in Celje, Slovenia Currently based in Graz, Austria In 1999 Vid Žgajner finished his elementary music studies with prof. Marjan Feguš at the local music school in Rogaška Slatina. In 2000 he continued his musical education with prof. Mihael Švagan at the Maribor high music school – direction classical trombone. After a successful examination in 2004 and under the leadership of prof. Stanko Vavh, a long-term member of the Slovenian brass quintet, he passed the entrance exam at the Art's and Music

University (KUG) in Graz, Austria. He graduated in the class of prof. Ed Neumeister in 2010 DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra and currently he is doing his masters studies. During his studies he has been a regular member of the HGM Jazz Orchestra, the Croatian music youth (member from 2001 until Self-Governing Institution 2009). He also collaborated with some famous groups and individuals from all over Europe. Swinging Europe To mention a few: John Mosca, Jim Rotondi, Luis Bonilla, Michael Philipp Mosman, Peter Erskin, , Yellowjackets, John Holenbeck, Dena de Rose, Bob Brookmeyer, Peter Nørregade 7D DK-7400 Herbolzheimer, Randy Brecker, Gustavo Berghalli, Victor Villenia, David Liebman, Dave Herning Taylor, Bill Dobbins, Gary Foster, Renato Chico, Ed Neumeister, Sigi Feigl, Derick Gardner, Earl Denmark

Gardner, John Riley, Jonas Knutsson, Toti Big Band Maribor, Fool Cool Jazz Orchestra, Vladko T.: +45 6094 1236 Stefanovski, Miljenko Prohaska and others. E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk

Bass trombone SE/CVR Nr.:32978665

Juliane Gralle Bank: Handelsbanken German Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 Born 1986 in Bremerhaven, Germany Currently based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands Juliane started playing instruments (flutes (recorder), piano and viola) at a young age until she found the tuba and later the bass trombone as a teenager. After finishing school in her little German hometown Northeim she went to Amsterdam to study bass trombone at the jazz department of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Her main teachers were Erik van Lier, Martin van den Berg, Martijn Sohier and Bert Boeren. The intense study and the inspiring environment made her eternally fall in love with music and get more and more excited about it as the years pass. During her studies she began playing with fantastic bands, such as the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra and the famous and unique Metropole Orchestra. She is a regular member of the Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra, but also of Amsterdam based bands as the Amsterdam Jazz Orchestra and the Modern Balkan Jazz Orchestra. At the North Sea Jazz Festival 2010 she got the chance to play with the Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra. Recently she proceeded to the Master studies at the conservatory in Amsterdam while she plays a lot in mainly The Netherlands and Germany with as open-minded musicians as possible. www.myspace.com/julianegralle

Lead Alto sax Julia Schreitl Austrian Born 1982 in Vienna, Austria Currently based in Vienna, Austria

Julia Schreitl was born in 1982 and grew up near Vienna. She attended the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, studying classical saxophone and music education as well as jazz saxophone. As part of her jazz studies she spent one year at the University of Music in Malmö, Sweden. Following her widespread interests, she got to play and work in different musical styles and bands though her main focus lies on playing her own music. She released the album “Nordic Walking” in 2009 with the “Nord.Rand.Band”, a co-operation with Scandinavian Jazz Musicians. In 2010 the album “maßgeschneidert” (engl. Tailor Made) by the Sx4 Saxophone Quartet was released, containing contemporary classical compositions by Julia Schreitl. Two

other important projects are “[impro]jekt”, a performance group with a dancer and the duo DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra “Juju”, for which a CD release is planned in 2011.

Self-Governing Institution Alto sax Swinging Europe Marike van Dijk Nørregade 7D Dutch DK-7400 Born 1982 in Gaasterland, The Netherlands Herning Denmark Currently based in Utrecht, The Netherlands Marike van Dijk was born and raised in The Netherlands and started playing the sax at age T.: +45 6094 1236 E: [email protected] 11. Around the time she was 14 years old she started playing jazz. She went on to study at W: www.swinging-europe.dk the Rotterdam Conservatory (codarts) from which she graduated in 2006. She continued her SE/CVR Nr.:32978665 studies at the Amsterdam conservatory. While pursuing a master’s degree in Amsterdam, she got the opportunity to study in New York at the ‘Manhattan School of Music’ for a semester. Bank: Handelsbanken Reg.: 7621 In 2008 she graduated from the Amsterdam conservatory. Her teachers throughout the years Konto Nr.: 2137244 were, amongst others, Benjamin Herman, Ferdinand Povel, Jasper Blom, Bob Mintzer, Dick Oatts. During her studies, Marike started composing her own music and started her own band ‘Marike van Dijk Quintet’. Her music is best described as modern creative Jazz – Jazz influenced by classical, pop and rock music. In 2009 Marike was nominated for the prestigious ‘Deloitte jazz award’ and the ‘Amersfoort jazz talent award’. She was also selected as ‘artist deserving wider recognition’ by JazzNL. End of October 2009 she recorded her debut album ‘Patches of Blue’, which was released on April 13th 2010. The ‘Marike van Dijk Quintet’ performed on the ‘Northsea Jazz festival’ in 2010. www.marikevandijk.com

Lead Tenor sax Miroslav Popradi

Slovakian Born 1982 in Lucenic, Slovakia Currently based in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

Miroslav Poprádi began to play the piano at the age of six. Later he started to play the trumpet. Aged 14 he switched to alto sax. In 2000 after his first secondary school - Pedagogical Academy - he went to Music Conservatory high school in Bratislava to study classical clarinet playing. In 2007, he joined the first EBU live radio quintet session performing on alto sax with the renowned trumpet player Juraj Bartoš and the famous Nothing But Swing Trio. In 2010 he finished his study on classical saxophone playing and got his diploma on University of Music in Banská Bystrica. Currently he is teaching on primary music schools and performs music with Czech and Slovak jazz groups and big bands.

Tenor sax Emanuele Di Nardo Swiss Born 1981 in Piazzogna TI, Switzerland Currently based in S. Nazzaro, Switzerland Emanuele Di Nardo was born in Locarno in 1981. In 2006 he begins his Bachelor of Arts in Music with R. Gubler at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. In 2009 he starts the Master of Arts in Music Pedagogy with his professor R. Gubler, with R. Camenisch and B. Hofstetter. He took part in Masterclasses run by maestros L. Mlekusch, S. Armbruster, E. Parker, C. Delangle, R. Hall, M. Weiss, W. Fähndrich, T. D’agostino, S. Bellotti. He played with Ensemble ‘900, project of the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, directed by Maestro

Giorgio Bernasconi. In 2008 as Soloist with the CSI Orchestra directed by Maestro M. DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra Kissoczy. In 2009 He played with the Chamber Ensemble of the Scala Theatre of Milan and at the Vom Himmel Musikfestival of Bern and at the Musikfest Passagen of Zürich.Currently he Self-Governing Institution teaches Sax at the Ricci Musical Institute of Loveno (Como-Italy). With the Jazz Wave Swinging Europe Quartet, formation he proposes an original repertory, ranging from Jazz to contemporary and electronic music. Nørregade 7D DK-7400 www.emanueledinardo.ch Herning Denmark

Baritone sax T.: +45 6094 1236 Markéta Smejkalová E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk Czech Born 1983 in Jihlava, Czeck Republic SE/CVR Nr.:32978665

Currently based in Polna, Czech Republic Bank: Handelsbanken After high school-graduation, Markéta went to Jaroslav Jezek’s Conservatory in Prague, Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 where she studied saxophone and clarinet by a well-known Czech saxophonist Pavel Pivarci. She also attended improvisation classes by Stepan Markovic and Frantisek Kop. During her studies she was invited to co-work with Czech radio big band conductor Vaclav Kozel on his project Big Chess Band. She is still a member of this band, as 1st alto. During her studies she went to an academic year in Stuttgart, where she studied by the saxophonist, composer and solo-fagotist of the symphonic orchestra Stuttgart Libor Sima. After graduation from conservatory, Marketa decided to keep studying and was accepted to study Composition at the same conservatory. Since this year, she also studies Jazz-saxophone by Rostislav Fras. What her music activities concerns, Marketa are a soloist of Vaclav Hybs Orchestra and play the baritone-sax in Stepan Markovic Saxtet. She also cooperates with Prague Big Band conducted by Milan Svoboda, Bucinatores Bigband, Felix Slovacek Big Band, Czech radio Big Band and other famous Czech Bands. Recently she became a member of baritone-sax quartet 4Bars. www.myspace.com/bigchessband

Piano Pablo Held German

Born 1986 in Herdeck, Germany Currently based in Cologne, Germany Born von December 27th in 1986, pianist Pablo Held lives in Cologne, Germany, where he works with his own band "Pablo Held Trio" and as a sideman in various groups. He had the chance to work with WDR BigBand, Paul Heller, , Jasper Blom, Matthias Nadolny, Jochen Rückert, Uli Beckerhoff, Ignaz Dinné, Eric Vloeimans, Nicolas Thys, Claudio Puntin, Claus Stötter, Manfred Schoof, Julian Argüelles, Henning Sieverts, Dre Pallemaerts,

Nils Wogram and others. Until now Pablo made two critically acclaimed records under his own name (Forest of Oblivion & Music, both of them released by the German label Pirouet Records). www.myspace.com/pabloheld

Bass Peedu Kass Estonian Born 1986 in Harjumaa, Estonia

Currently based in Harjumaa, Estonia

Education: 2008 –: Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre – Jazz studies, double bass DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra 2006 – 2008: Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences – Jazz double bass 2005 – 2006: Georg Ots Music School – Jazz double bass Self-Governing Institution 2004 – 2005: University of Tartu – Semiotics and culture studies Swinging Europe Experience in musical work: Performed with international artists such as Antonio Hart, Mark Gross, Casey Benjamin, Lee Pearson, Jean Caze, Brian Melvin, Danny Walsh, Ville Pynssi, Nørregade 7D DK-7400 Kalevi Louhivuori, Jussi Kannaste, Sami Linna, Ville Vannemaa, Sergio Bastos, Viktors Ritovs, Herning Gints Paberz, Andris Buikis. Performed with Estonian Dream Big Band, Estonian Dance Big Denmark

Band, Estonian Police and Boarderguard Big Band, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Tallinn T.: +45 6094 1236 Philharmonics String Quartet, Tartu Junior Big Band, Bel-Etage Swing Orchestra. Appeared on E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk numerous recordings of Estonian jazz-artists, as well as a live CD recorded in NYC, featuring Mark Gross, Antonio Hart, Lee Pearson, Casey Benjamin and several others. In May 2010 SE/CVR Nr.:32978665 released the first album as a leader under Julm Records entitled “Home”. The album features Bank: Handelsbanken only original compositions with the quintet called “Peedu Kass 005”. Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 Competitions: Young Jazz Talent 2010 award issued by the Jazzkaar festival in cooperation with Elion and the Estonian Jazz Union. 1st place at the international “Sony Jazz Stage 2006” competition, jazz bass nomination, held in Riga, Latvia. Best ensemble and prize at the “Rainbowjazz 2005” competition held in Tartu, Estonia. Musical training: Studied double bass with Marek Mere, Aivar Eimra, Toivo Unt, Taavo Remmel, Uffe Krokfors and Tuure Koski. Also attended lessons by Matt Pennman, Mats Eiltertsen, Heiri Känzig, , Mati Lukk, Ara Yaralyan and Eerik Siikasaari. Studied electric bass with Margus Minn. Also attended lessons by Raul Vaigla and Paul Kikerpuu. www.peedukass.com

Drums Janko Novoselić Croatian Born 1983 in ,

Currently based in Zagreb, Croatia Born in 1983 in Zagreb. Attended the Elly Bašić music school where he studied music theory and piano. After high school he took various workshops in Groznjan organized by Jeunesses

Musicales Croatia, where he was introduced to jazz music, which then took him to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria. He graduated on the jazz department in 2006. Being versatile as he is, Janko is recording music for theater, movies, commercials, songs and other in the studios RKF Production, IDM, KramaSonik and Morris Music Studio. He is composing and producing his own music and one of his tunes was released on the compilation of electronic music ‘Dancing Bear Lounge 08’. He played with famous musicians from Croatian, European and world scene: Miles Griffith, Adrienne West,

Gaynel Hodge (The Platters), Andy Middleton, Fritz Pauer, Tamara Obrovac, Fine Noize, Zoran Madžirov, Elvis Stanić, Matija Dedić, Saša Nestorović, Boško Petrovič, Arsen Dedić, HGM Big Bang, HRT Big Band and many others. Currently he is playing in the famous croatian group The Beat Fleet. In collaboration with Elvis Penava he leads jazz group Satellite which has released its debut album in 2010. Janko also leads a project of experimental/electronic/ambient music called Tobogan, which will soon release its first album.

Percussion

Ivan Tsonkov

Bulgarian DSI Swinging Europe European Jazz Orchestra Born 1989 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria Currently based in Sofia, Bulgaria Self-Governing Institution Ivan Tsonkov started his music studies at the age of eight. Currently, he is a student at the Swinging Europe Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in the class of Hristo Yotzov and at the Accademia Internazionale d’Arte e Musica in Milano in the class of Tony Arco. He was Nørregade 7D DK-7400 awarded First Prize at the Sun in the Soul Competition (Nessebar, 2007) and Second Prize at Herning the Lovech Music Competition (2004). Ivan Tsonkov has played in concerts with Pirin Folk Denmark

Ensemble, Slanchev Bryag Folk Ensemble and Vihren Ensemble. He has also played with folk T.: +45 6094 1236 orchestras at the World Folkdance Festival in Palma de Mallorca (2007) and the International E: [email protected] W: www.swinging-europe.dk Folklore Festival in Agrigento, Sicily (2008). Both orchestras were awarded First Prizes at the international folk competitions held during the two festivals. Ivan Tsonkov has performed at SE/CVR Nr.:32978665 concerts with the famous jazz musicians Hristo Yotzov, Venzislav Blagoev, Prof. Simeon Bank: Handelsbanken Venkov, Petronius Negresco, Kostadin Genchev, Valeri Dimchev Quartet. He has participated Reg.: 7621 Konto Nr.: 2137244 in a master class of Milcho Leviev.