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Karolis Šarkus

Karolis Šarkus (28) is a Lithuanian jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger shaping a bold contemporary jazz voice in Europe. His music blends lyrical melodies, modern harmony, and cinematic textures with emotional depth and strong narrative flow — rooted in jazz tradition, driven by exploration.

He studied jazz in the USA and Amsterdam, developing a refined and expressive personal style. His debut album Palette of Feelings (2021) introduced his artistic world to a wider audience, earning critical acclaim for its emotional depth and distinctive melodic writing.

Winner of Italy’s Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani (2021), recipient of Lithuania’s Young Performing Artist Prize (2022), and a member of the Euroradio Jazz Orchestra (2023), Karolis continues to expand contemporary jazz through original music, collaborations, and international performances.

Awards

2022 — Lithuania’s Young Performing Artist Prize (Recipient)
2022 — Baltic Young Composers’ Big Band Competition (Grand Prix)
2022 — Artist Status granted by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture
2021 — Premio Internazionale Massimo Urbani, Italy

Domas Žeromskas: Meditations on Providence and Perseverance, Vol. 1

Read "Meditations on Providence and Perseverance, Vol. 1" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
June 4, 2024

Domas Žeromskas is a Lithuanian pianist and composer living in Boston. For his debut album, Infinite Itinerant (Vinilo Studija, 2019), he collaborated with numerous musicians from his home country. Subsequently, he worked with musicians such as Tom Scott and Jacques Schwarz-Bart before forming his trio with drummer Héctor L. Falu Guzmán and bassist Ian Quinton Banno. This trio forms the musical backbone of Meditations on Providence and Perseverance Vol. 1. Žeromskas takes the chemistry of his trio and ...

Album Review

Karolis Šarkus: Palette of Feelings

Read "Palette of Feelings" reviewed by Vitalijus Gailius

by Vitalijus Gailius
August 1, 2021

Karolis Šarkus is a promising young Lithuanian jazz saxophonist who is well aware of European and American jazz traditions. He is a co-founder of the traditional sounding collective Collaborative Jazz Septet. However, Šarkus cannot be described as a die-hard adherent to tradition. On the contrary, his compositional style is mainly characterized by expanding jazz boundaries beyond established norms.Palette of Feelings is Šarkus' long-awaited debut album. It begins with “Meeting Point." Marked by funky keys and a groovalicious vibe, ...

Album Review

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Read "Inspirations" reviewed by Vitalijus Gailius

by Vitalijus Gailius
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Mindaugas Stumbras is a leading jazz guitarist of Lithuanian scene who has much of potential to be broadly acclaimed by international community. He graduated from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow in 2019, and he has already played and toured internationally not only with the well known Lithuanian fusion jazz band Brave Noises, but also with such names as MENT4L feat. Seamus Blake, Fergus McCreadie, Michelangelo Scandroglio, Kenneth Dahl Knudsen, Kenny Wollesen, Luis Bonilla and JM Jazz World ...

"Rich and thoughtful alto saxophone sound." - Dick Oatts

"Karolis Šarkus is a promising young Lithuanian jazz saxophonist who is well aware of European and American jazz traditions." - Vitalijus Gailius

"Arrangements are fresh <..> interesting sounds and combinations." - Norman David