Tawanda is a multinational jazz vocalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. With German and Mozambican roots, she grew up in New Mexico and studied at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in contemporary music with a focus on jazz vocals. She has received several prestigious awards, including first place at the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition (2021) and the BISTRO Outstanding Achievement Award for Jazz Vocalists (2023). Her debut album Smile (2022), released by Resonance Records, is available on all streaming platforms. She has also been featured on the Grammy-nominated album My Heart Speaks (2023) by Ivan Lins and has performed as a featured vocalist with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, touring extensively across the United States and Europe in 2024. She is currently developing a new EP, which shows an immersive exploration of global rhythms and timeless standards, weaving together themes of nature and the spirit of resistance.
Jonathan Kreisberg is a jazz guitarist and composer with an established international presence. His playing combines a strong sense of melody with a contemporary approach to harmony and rhythm. He is known for his in-depth understanding of the jazz tradition, which he develops further through his own musical ideas and approach to the guitar. As a bandleader and sideman, he has collaborated with artists such as Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joe Locke, Ari Hoenig, Yosvany Terry, Larry Grenadier, Bill Stewart, Kevin Hays, and many others. He has released numerous critically acclaimed albums, including The South of Everywhere, Wave Upon Wave, Capturing Spirits – JKQ Live!, and his solo guitar recording One. He worked closely with the late Dr. Lonnie Smith for over a decade, who described him as “a passionate musician with great vision, constantly in fiery pursuit of innovation.” In addition to performing, Kreisberg is a respected educator with over 20 years of experience, author of Offerings of Note, and founder of the online educational platform Explorations of Note.
Marko Črnčec is one of Slovenia’s most acclaimed contemporary musicians and an internationally renowned jazz pianist. He has released seven original albums, all of which have received critical acclaim and international recognition. Most notably, Devotion was named among the 20 best albums of 2014 by All About Jazz, one of the world’s leading jazz publications, and Place To Live was especially well received in France. He performs at major venues and festivals around the world and has collaborated with musicians including Billy Hart, Seamus Blake, Jonathan Kreisberg, Rez Abbasi, and Joe Locke, among many others.
Colin Stranahan is a globally recognised drummer who frequently collaborates with leading figures in jazz, including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jonathan Kreisberg, Dr Lonnie Smith, Fred Hersch, Terence Blanchard, Dave Kikoski, Kevin Hays, and many others. He studied at the University of the Pacific as a Brubeck Institute fellow and at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. He was one of the winners at the 2012 Thelonious Monk International Drum Competition. As a member of the New York-based trio Stranahan/Zaleski/Rosato, he has released three acclaimed albums. He teaches at The New School in New York.
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American bassist Joshua Ginsburg has performed on international stages for over 25 years. He has played and recorded with ensembles led by Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Friedman, Joe Chambers, and many others. He graduated from the Mannes School of Music and later earned a master’s degree in double bass under John Patitucci, as well as in composition under David Del Tredici. He regularly collaborates with musicians from both the American and European scenes and is currently a professor of jazz double bass at the Gustav Mahler Private University for Music in Klagenfurt.
Luigi Grasso is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer who discovered jazz and classical music early. He studied with Agostino Di Giorgio and apprenticed with NEA Jazz Master Barry Harris, assisting in his masterclasses. In 2004, he began formal studies in composition, harmony, and counterpoint at the Bologna Giovanni Martini Conservatory. His Luigi Grasso Quartet earned critical acclaim, and he was featured as a soloist on Crazy Blues by China Moses and Raphaël Lemmonier, later serving as music director for Moses’s Nightintales. Based in Paris, he also taught at the Conservatoire de Paris. He joined the NDR Big Band in Hamburg as a soloist in 2019, and released Dantesca in 2023, featuring original music for symphonic orchestra and saxophone.
Boris Majcen is a Slovenian jazz trumpeter, composer, and member of the HRT Jazz Orchestra. He studied at the Conservatory of Music in Maribor, the Conservatory in Klagenfurt (under Wilson Leroy Harper and Daniel Nösig), and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz under Jim Rotondi. He performs at concerts and records with local and international artists. With the HRT Jazz Orchestra, he has played with musicians such as Jure Pukl, Alex Sipiagin, Nenad Vasilić, Renato Chicco, Ted Nash, Makoto Ozone, Emiliano Sampaio, Luis Bonilla, the Joel Frahm Trio, Elliot Mason, and Richard Bona. In 2025, he presented his original project No Risk, No Fun!
Blaž Pahor is a Slovenian jazz pianist. He completed his bachelor’s studies under Professor Olaf Polziehn at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. He regularly collaborates with a wide range of Slovenian artists, including Tatjana Mihelj, Barbara Šinigoj, Anika Horvat, Matjaž Kumelj, and Zala Smolnikar, and performs with ensembles such as Ladybugz, the David Mozetič Quintet, Ana Soklič and Soul Cast, Gala Dance Orchestra, Vox Arsana, and Rok’n’Band. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in jazz composition under Professor Edward Partyka in Graz. In addition to performing, he is active as an arranger and composer, and serves as conductor of the Big Band NOVA from Nova Gorica, which regularly performs his works.
