Drummer/composer Srdjan Ivanovic (1983) chose sticks, drums and cymbals as his main weapon in his quest to liberate energies through musical encounters. He blends melodic modern-jazz with the musical heritage of the Balkans and adds to that anything that might find itself on the way.
“Srdjan Ivanovic, conceals an energising drumming and percussion playing, an antidote to torpor..” (Citizen Jazz by Alice Leclercq)
Currently living in Paris, Srdjan was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina from which he moved in 1992 to Athens, Greece, to escape the war. His earliest musical influences involved late night music sessions of his father’s friends, a classical guitarist and composer. He began playing the drums, taking lessons with Greek drummer George Polychronakos and continuing his studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Utrechts Conservatorium in The Netherlands. While there he won several awards, most notably the Dutch Jazz Competition during the North Sea Jazz Festival. He was also awarded the Prins Bernhard Foundation scholarship to study in New York City.
As a leader he has taken the Blazin’ Quartet around the world and released four records. His latest band is under his name, featuring a stellar group of Paris based musicians with which they recorded the album Modular, released in February 2024 on the label Rue Des Balkans.
Not taking much time to rest lately he is co-leading the band Xénos, a rock-jazz-balkans group that released it’s debut album in 2023. He is also co-leader of the 11 piece Nikolov-Ivanovic Undectet whose last album features flutist Magic Malik and that also is preparing a new release in 2024. He appears on over twenty albums as a sideman and appears with various groups in the city. He has also written music for film and theatre. Srdjan plays and endorses Istanbul Agop Cymbals and custom Gabriel Drums.
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