Episode #117: Alan Bartus

Improv Exchange Podcast

He was born in Lucenec on February 22, 2001, and comes from a family of musicians (father Stefan- an established Jazz Artist). Alan's talent began to manifest in his early childhood. As a four- year- old he began attending piano lessons at the Art School in Lucenec. During this period he has his first diploma in a regional piano competition. After moving with his family to Austria's Neusiedl am See in 2012, he started to study at the local music school. In a short period of time, he was selected among the top students in Burgenland, allowing him to participate regularly in master classes with the best pedagogues and performing artists. He has held several public concerts in the framework of Piano Academy Oberschützen.

Since 2014 he has attended the Church Conservatory in Bratislava, where he was admitted as an extraordinary student to the class of Mgr.Art Andrea Balešová ArtD. Under her leadership, he participates in a number of international competitions and he has had successes- Brno 2015-3rd prize, Eisenstadt 2016 – 2nd prize, Kamenice nad Lipou 2016 -1st prize, MILANO 2017 -3rd prize. In the year 2018, he began his studies at the MUK University Vienna jazz piano with Professor Oliver Kent.

In addition to studying jazz and classical piano, Alan is dedicated to improvisation and composition. He has had his first valuable experience at Jazz stages with professional artists. Some time ago, he was auditioning at the Vienna Festival. He was chosen among the finalists.

A festival performance with legends of Austrian Jazz was the best start for him. Alan recorded already three different albums- Nina Berglova Inou Krajinou, New Faces of Slovak Jazz, and Alan&Stefan Bartus Trio Connectivity. He is currently preparing to release his debut album, which he recorded with the legendary Gregory Hutchinson, Kornel Fekete Kovács, and his father Stefan Pista Bartus.

2017 Alan wins further achievements in the Jazz region-with his Trio(J.Valíček, M.Štubniak) he becomes the absolute winner of the Jazz Start Up competition and in the New Face of the Slovak Jazz Competition and he has got the Convincing Instrumental Performance Award. This success gave him opportunities to preset music with his Trio at Bratislava Jazz Days Festival, Top Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest Trencin(Jazz pod Hradom) Liptov Jazz Fest, etc.. 2022 he is winning the solo piano competition Excellence Piano Awards with Grand Prix Majestic Excellence Award and Piano Solo Professional Gold Award.

In the same year, he is the winner of the prestigious Austrian Ö1 Jazz Prize and is accepted to one of the best jazz schools in the world, the Manhattan School of Music in New York. In 2022, Alan also earned a collaboration with living American jazz legend, saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi, with whom he toured and recorded an album in the Lukáš Oravec Quintet. Alan has also recorded and toured with the respected New York saxophonist, Tim Armacost. In 2023 he is winning the Artedea Jazz Competition with his duo Bartuš&Widauer Experiment. In this episode, Alan shares his background, education, and musical journey.

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