Toni Kitanovski

Toni Kitanovski is a Macedonian jazz guitarist. Born in Skopje, 1964. Toni started his musical education with Dragan Gjakonovski - Spato in 1979. From 1986 till 1990 he was the leader of the trio “Spato”, performing numerous concerts, radio and TV appearances as a trio as well as many solo performances. Composes / arranges concerts for the MBUC chamber orchestra, music for the dance orchestra of MRT. Records soloist materials for WDR in Cologne, Germany.

1988 - 1990 guitarist for the dance orchestra of MRT.

1990 - 1997 study stay in the USA. Graduates at Berklee College of Music, attends composition seminars with Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, private studies with Denis Grillo. Composes for the concert jazz orchestra of Herb Pomeroy; Greg Hopkins' Big-Band; and leads groups of his own. Cooperates with the performance artists Bart Uchida and Nancy Adams from Boston; composes the solo act of Uchida in Taipei, Taiwan.

1997 returns to Skopje, forms the band Luna, appears on the AFES festival with the chamber orchestra of FMA as composer and soloist.

As a soloist, bandleader, composer and arranger with his trio and the jazz orchestra he performs at many festivals, concerts and clubs.

He has collaborated with many highly regarded musicians including Greg Hopkins. Charlie Mariano, Gustavo Aguilar, Vinny Golia, Steve Bernstein & The Sex Mob, Matt Dariau and Nat Su. In 1998, in conjunction with the Skopje Jazz Festival label, Toni released his debut CD “One for Charlie”. Three years later, in 2001, he released the live album “Duet” with the same label.

His current project is with the gypsy brass bend Cherkezi. In 2006 they released their album “Borderlands” under the enja records label.

Awards:

1988 Robert Share Memorial Award

1992-95 awarded on three occasions with the Berklee Achievement Scholarship Award for extraordinary musical accomplishments.

1994 Charles Mingus Award for outstanding and original accomplishments in the field of jazz composition.

elected discography

*"Live at Skopje Jazz Festival", Toni Kitanovski & Zoran Madjirov Duet (SJF Records)
*"One for Charlie", Toni Kitanovski Trio (1998, SJF Records)
*"Borderlands", Toni Kitanovski & Cherkezi Orchestra (2006, Enja)

External links

* [http://www.tonikitanovski.com Toni Kitanovski home page]
* [http://www.myspace.com/tonikitanovskiandcherkezi myspace page]

ee also

*Music of the Republic of Macedonia