Sofija Knezevic

“Recognized as one of jazz's pre-eminent vocalists, young Sofija Knezevic  is making her name as one of the most significant singers in jazz today. While her singing is steeped in tradition, her improvisational virtuosity and creativity are breathtaking.” 
 


Sofija graduated from University for Music and Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, in the class of Dena De Rose. She received a full tuition scholarship at the age of 16. 
 


She has won many awards and scholarships including the Marianne Mendt Jazz Award,Tesla Award for the achievements in Music, Thailand International Jazz Voice Competition 2016 , Unesco Scholarship for young talents, Golden Mermaid award, and was recently chosen in 2013 for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program which identifies outstanding, emerging jazz artists and composers.
 


She's been based in New York since 2011, and teaching voice at the Music School of New York City since 2012.  
Sofija is also an ambassador of CYE and NFCA - Celiac Youth of Europe, and one of the ambassadors for the Estee Lauder and their Breast Awareness Camapign, and an Amazon Aid Foundation Artist.   Sofija is listed as first of Elle Magazine`s 30 under 30 (30 most successful people under 30 years of age), and third on Cosmopolitan Magazine`s  list of the most beautiful women in 2013. Sofija is included in newly published Jazz Encyclopedia `Serbian jazz, Bre`, and is writing two books of her own at the moment, one about vocal technique and the other one that includes her jazz arrangements of Balkan folk music.
 
Sofija held and performed at many humanitarian events, including her own organization of a concert to help the Sandy Hook victims in 2013. She has also done the music for numerous movies, including the documentary about her life, and the movie `Love Comes After` that just won an award in LA for the best foreign drama of the year. Sofija also appeared in a movie `Balkan Spirit` by Hermann Vaske together with Marina Abramovic and Angelina Jolie, in the summer of 2013.
She also wrote music as a musical director for the `Theater 13`, and was an artistic director of `Island Dreams Entertainment` for a short period of time.
  Sofija worked with many great jazz artists such as David Murray,  Jason Moran, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Terence Blanchard, James Moody, Elliot Mason, Christian McBride among others.

Awards

She has won many awards and scholarships including the Marianne Mendt Jazz Award,Tesla Award for the achievements in Music, Thailand International Jazz Voice Competition 2016 , Unesco Scholarship for young talents, Golden Mermaid award, and was recently chosen in 2013 for the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program which identifies outstanding, emerging jazz artists and composers.
 


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