Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Us (2020)

Dimitrije Vasiljević is a New Orleans based, award-winning jazz pianist and composer who has been hailed as “a strong jazz player with an impressive vocabulary and a powerful modern improviser who shows promise that he will be a new voice in modern jazz” (Tony Germain – Berklee College of Music). His music, “iridescent and captivating, a cascade of weaving twists and turns” (All About Jazz), represents an innovative combination of the modern American jazz and gentle flavor of European jazz with intricate musical landscapes full of exotic rhythms and sophisticated harmony. Vasiljević got his Bachelor Degrees both from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, his Master’s degree from NYU Steinhardt in New York City and his DMA from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before he accepted the position of Assistant Professor at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, he taught jazz piano at both NYU Steinhardt in NYC and UIUC in Champaign, IL.

Vasiljević has performed concerts at such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall (NYC), United Nations Headquarters (NYC), Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), Krannert Center (Urbana, IL). He performs extensively throughout the United States and Europe, both as a solo pianist and with his own jazz trio/quartet/quintet. In 2008 he won third jury prize and the audience prize at the world renowned Montreux Solo Jazz Piano Competition in Switzerland, and in 2014, Tesla Science Foundation in New York City, awarded him with a Recognition of Achievement for his contribution in promoting the life and legacy of Nikola Tesla through Music. In 2015, Vasiljević was a finalist of both Luminarts Jazz Competition in Chicago and the Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship competition. During his time at Berklee, he received the Jazz Performance Award and the Piano Department Achievement Award, and while working on his doctorate at UIUC, he received Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship. He has performed with the jazz greats such as Joe Lovano, Chris Potter, Charles “Chip” McNeill, Tito Carillo, Victor Garcia, Marko Djordjevic, Klemens Marktl and Brad Shepik, among others and recorded four albums as a leader so far.

In addition to his composing/performing and teaching careers, Vasiljević also scores music for films (There Has to Be More Than This; Tierra Utopia), and is one of the founding members of Music Defying Boundaries, nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging individuals with experimental and improvised music through education, performance, and documentation. For 5 years, he was also on the faculty of Blue Mountain Festival summer music camps in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Vasiljević is a Ropeadope Records recording artist. As a performer he is active on the New York’s and New Orleans’ jazz scenes, as well as in Europe where he regularly performs both as a leader of his jazz quartet and as a solo pianist.

Tracklist:
01. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Homo Ludens (6:50)
02. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Chiaroscuro (7:02)
03. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Aurora (6:21)
04. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Twixter (5:04)
05. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Cross My Heart (4:56)
06. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Ardent Years (4:12)
07. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Ridgewood Sun (4:26)
08. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Le Rouge Poisson (5:39)
09. Dimitrije Vasiljevic - Innamorata (4:52)