BalkaNova
Balkan Folk & World Jazz
Our Project
Viktoria Lasaroff (BG) vocals, accordion, percussion | Andreas Brunn (D) 7-string acoustic guitar | Robin Draganic (CAN) double bass.
The international ensemble featuring the fantastic Bulgarian singer Viktoria Lasaroff, blends Balkan folk and world jazz in an innovative style. At festivals we also play in a quintet with Vladimir Karparov (BG) on sax and Stoyan Yankoulov (BG) on drums.
We recorded our new CD with BalkaNova and various international guests in the spring of 2024 in the outstanding Tune In Studio with the help of a grant from the Berlin Senate. The recordings are complete; among others, Bulgarian star Stoyan Yankoulov played in his studio in Sofia to our rough mixes, and these musical highlights were integrated into the CD, which was released on February 28, 2025, by our record label, Laika Records .
Our new BalkaNova CD “July Morning” was presented on March 4, 2025, at the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation hr2-kultur in the “Hörbar” section. https://www.hr2.de/podcasts/hoerbar/balkanova-verzaubern-mit-july-morning–mehr-musik- Grenzlos,podcast-episode-139142.html
Balkanova also has a new own website, which you can visit under this link https://balkanova.info
BalkaNova interprets folk songs in a unique way: Arrangements developed closely to the text reflect the meaning of the words in every moment through subtle, jazzy harmonies, fast-paced rhythms, and the meter typical of the Balkans. The lyrics, melody, and accompaniment of the original Balkan songs are interwoven in a unique way.
BalkaNova performed with Bulgarian star Stoyan Yankoulov at the BERLIN BALKAN SLAM Festival and the DÜRENER JAZZTAGEN. The trio recorded a CD with Stoyan Yankoulov as a guest. It was released in September 2012. The following recordings were pre-release versions of the new BalkaNova album.
Biography
The soprano Viktoria Lasaroff was born in Sofia (Bulgaria). Even in her infancy, she stood on the “boards that mean the world” in the Berlin Metropol Theater. At the age of 6 she received her first piano and accordion lessons. She continued her musical and vocal education at the Georg Friedrich Händel Special School of Music and as a young student at the Julius Stern Institute of the Berlin University of the Arts. There she studied school music and singing. Since 2000 she has sung several opera roles in both mezzo and soprano. V. Lasaroff has been leading an international singing workshop in Havana (CUB) since 2014, and continues doing so in 2025 (supported over the years by the Goethe Institute, the DAAD, and the German Foreign Ministry).
She showed her warm multi-faceted vocal sound and versatile acting skills both in trouser roles such as the youthful seducer Blansac in “La scala di seta” by G.Rossini and as the femme fatal Lavina in the Neuzell production of “Die Ganz von Kairo” by W.A. Mozart. Private training in jazz singing with Doro Dalg, Judy Niemack and Kara Johnstad as well as seminars and workshops in Brazilian music and Balkan chants expanded her stylistic repertoire.
In numerous song recitals “Slavianska Dushá” with the Ukrainian pianist Olga Romanchenko, her Bulgarian roots unite with her classical vocal culture in songs by Bulgarian and other composers of the Slavic region to create a moving sound experience. Together with guitarist Andreas Brunn and bassist Klaus Axenkopf, their entire cultural and musical background is transformed into sounding emotion in an exotic mixture of Balkan melodies and creative jazz sounds.
Andreas Brunn was born in Weimar in 1964, played the clarinet since the age of six, started learning the guitar at the age of fourteen and has been a musician in bands of various styles ever since. He studied guitar and music theory at the “Franz Liszt” University of Music in Weimar.
His composition “Two Faces” was awarded 1st prize in the guitar composition competition Open Strings in 1999, announced throughout Germany by the specialized magazine AKUSTIKGitarre.
The guitarist has given concerts at various European and Asian festivals and has worked with Petri Hakala, Stoyan Yankoulov, Ateshan Husseinov, Uli Bartel, Mack Goldsbury, Ralf Siedhoff, Ferenc Snetberger and has given concerts with a solo program. Andreas Brunn took conga lessons with Topo Gioa and teaches percussion using the Ta-Ke-Ti-Na method.
In 2003 he was a scholarship holder of the Senate Department for Science, Research and Culture, Berlin in Bulgaria and in 2008 also a scholarship holder in Finland.
In the summer of 2004 and 2007 he was the artistic director of the EU-supported project “Young Music Caravan Europe”, which traveled 7,500 km with young musicians from Europe and made guest appearances at renowned festivals in a large number of countries.
The double bass player Robin Draganic was born on January 3, 1963 in Zagreb (Croatia). His family moved to Canada when he was six years old.
After two years in China, where he taught English, he came to Germany in 1988 and studied double bass with a member of the BSO.
For twenty years he played almost every night of the week and led several jam sessions, eg at the Schlot, the Bepop Bar, the B-Flat and the Jazz Scheune.
Since 2001 he has been touring and recording with the band Lyambiko (for Sony Classical). The ensemble has sold over 60,000 records!
As Dr. Jazz he performs with the MG Showcompany with the shows Lets Burlesque and Glanz. Over the last ten years, the ensemble has toured all over Germany.
Press
The Belgian music magazine Rootstime writes in March 2025 about ‘July Morning’:
‘In Bulgaria, many people travel to the Black Sea on the night of 30 June to 1 July to watch the sunrise and celebrate with the song ‘July Morning’ by Uriah Heep. Over time, this tradition has become an integral part of the culture. The new BalkaNova CD commemorates this custom and contains ten songs that combine fusion and jazz and deal with key moments of a young relationship such as falling in love, living together, migration and family dynamics. …
The album features renowned guest musicians such as drummer Stojan Yankoulov, saxophonist Vladimir Karparov and others, making for a captivating and fast-paced listening experience. Most of the songs are based on Bulgarian folk traditions, with one Serbian exception (‘Ayde Yano’). Particularly noteworthy are Viktoria Lasaroff’s versatile voice and Andreas Brunn’s guitar, which effortlessly combines Balkan rhythms with influences from Cuba and Brazil and breathes new life into Bulgarian folk music. Delicious stuff!’ Dani Heyvaert @ Rootstime
BalkaNova at the MALAGA JAZZFESTIVAL
“… BALKANOVA, the voice of the Balkans … Viktoria Lasaroff, who is on stage, sings in the highest soprano. How is that possible? This woman had a deep voice just a few minutes before. How does she manage that? A voice that fills your eyes with tears, leaves you spellbound and already asking for the next song. The Balkanova Trio tells us stories and well-known legends of the Balkans, which take shape in beautiful songs in a very unique way, played perfectly and flawlessly…
This was a night of anecdotes and jazz, of stories, legends and magic. An hour of pure enjoyment with one of the best European jazz voices. An hour to appreciate real professionals who are making a name for themselves with their special and unique sound. Yesterday we smiled with our hearts thanks to this Balkan trio…” Lily Sánchez @ www.modernicolas.com
BalkaNova live
BalkaNova @ Haus der Sinne Sa. 24.05.2024 18:00 Uhr | “20 Years BalkaNova Party” | Ystader Str. 10, 10437 Berlin | www.hausdersinne-berlin.de …
BalkaNova @ Jazzclub Schlot Thu. 27.02.2024 21:00 Uhr | CD-Release concert „July Morning“ | Invalidenstr. 117, 10115 Berlin | www.kunstfabrik-schlot.de | Included …
14.12.24 20:00 BalkaNova – Weder gestern noch morgen., Gärtnerstr. 22, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain | facebook.com/wedergesternnochmorgen | our new BalkaNova CD “July Morning” is available!
