Kaja Draksler Solo

Saturday, May 23, at 17:30
music school

Kaja Draksler (piano)

Photo: Szymon Gąsiorek

Slovenia’s leading jazz pianist has received widespread critical acclaim in recent years for the albums and performances of her international Kaja Draksler Octet, which had its Slovenian premiere at our festival in 2017. In this ensemble, she brings together jazz, improvisation, contemporary classical music and poetry in a recognizable way. Alongside leading the octet and performing in other formations (Punkt.Vrt.Plastik, Czajka & Puchacz), Draksler is also active as a solo artist. Her debut solo album The Lives of Many Others (Clean Feed, 2013) was praised in publications such as The New York Times and Downbeat. She later released two more solo albums: the live recordings Soothe My Soul, Feed My Thought (Idyllic Noise, 2021) and In Otherness Oneself (Unsounds, 2022). Draksler, who was ranked eighth among the “rising star” pianists in the latest Downbeat Critics Poll, will premiere a new solo program in Cerkno. In this project, she draws inspiration from early jazz piano styles such as ragtime and stride. Both are rooted in strong, dance-driven rhythms, but Draksler places particular emphasis on the specific sound color of pianos and pianists, extended her approach into the realm of microtonality.

In cooperation with the Idrija Music School.