MILKO LAZAR
Composer/Musician
Milko Lazar is a composer, pianist, harpsichordist and saxophonist and is currently working freelance in the fields of contemporary classical and jazz music. He studied classical piano, jazz piano and saxophone at the Music Academy in Graz, Austria, harpsichord and baroque music at the Royal Conservatory in Den Haag, Holland. Although he composed from an early age, he never studied composition officially, only privately occasionally. For 15 year he was engaged with Big Band RTV Slovenia as a solo saxophonist and composer- conductor. Among other orchestras abroad (Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Augsburger Philharmoniker and Philharmonia Zurich) he is regularly composing for two of the best symphonic orchestras in Slovenia – The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Radio Symphony Orchestra.
During his jazz career (from 1984 to 2004), he was performing with several groups of his own (Quatebriga, Stefbet Rifi, Milko Lazar Quartet) and other well known jazz musicians like Maria Schneider, Herb Pomeroy, Peter Herbolzheimer, and Mathias Ruegg. With his own groups, he participated festivals like Perugia Jazz Festival, Leverkussen Jazz Festival, Jazz Nad Odra – Wrotzlav, Ljubljana Jazz Festival, Hannover Expo 2000, Alpentone Festival – Altdorf (CH) and many others. He recorded over 50 LPs and CDs with different ensembles and 30 solo projects.
His opus includes large number of orchestral works, operas, chamber works, vocal and jazz compositions and works for contemporary ballet performances. Most of them have already been performed by his or other international ensembles all over Europe, USA, China, Rusia and South America in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and Steinway Hall in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Teatro Camoes in Lisbona, Slovenian National Opera in Ljubljana, Theatre Mikhailovsky in Sankt Petersburg, Nybrokajen 11 Hall in Stockholm, Opernhaus in Zürich, Opernhaus in Stuttgart and many others. Among the conductors of his orchestral works one finds such names as Walter Proost, David de Villiers, Olari Elts, George Pehlivanian, David Itkin, Anton Nanut, Luca Pfaff, Mikhail Agrest, Pedro Halfter, James Tuggle, En Shao, Dmitrij Liss, Mikhail Agrest and Marko Letonja. Besides orchestral and chamber works Milko Lazar regularly composes for numerous film producers, theatres and dance performers in Slovenia and abroad.
As a pianist, he is performing regularly in duo with pianist Bojan Gorišek and with percussionist Zlatko Kaučič, as a harpsichordist with Russian violinist Vasilij Meljnikov and Slovenian flutist Matej Grahek and with his own trio “Lazar Drevenšek Juhart” (M.Lazar – harpsichord, Matjaž Drevenšek – saxophones, Luka Juhart – accordion), playing mostly his own works.
From 2008 he is regularly working and performing with world known dancer and choreographer Edward Clug. Together they have made fourteen ballet performances in Slovenia, Switzerland (Zurich) Portugal (Lisbon), Germany (Stuttgart, Augsburg), Austria (Graz), Croatia (Zagreb), Holland (Den Haag), Serbia (Belgrade) and Rusia (Sankt Petersburg).
He has been awarded with the most prestigious national award for art Prešernov sklad Award in 2005 and the city of Ljubljana art award Župančič Award in 2010 for his orchestral and chamber works.
Mr. Lazar is a versatile and prolific composer and has written a large body of work ranging from about 80 compositions for different small jazz ensembles (partly written, partly improvised), about 40 arrangements and orchestrations for Big Band and Symphony Orchestra for different ensembles and Rock groups, original music for 16 theatre performances (recorded electro acoustic music), original music for 10 films, original music for 10 video and dance performances (recorded electro acoustic music). He is available and curious about projects and artistic collaborations across the spectrum of music composition, performance, and recording art.
Mr. Lazar is also a regular artistic partner to the choreographies of Edward Clug and Matjaž Farič. He remains open to further dance/theater collaborations with other choreographic artists and theater directors.
The following is a list of Milko’s dance compositions to date:
(Video links supplied where available and a small sample of music tracks to a few recent works as well)
»The Man With A Knife« – ballet music for ochestra (46 min.), Choreography: Matjaž Farič, Opera House Ljubljana Ballet Company, Opera House Ljubljana Orchestra, Premiere: 8. November 2018 – Opera House Ljubljana.
Musical excperts:
»Faust – Das Ballett« – Ballet Suite for ochestra in two Acts (1h, 55 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Zürich Ballet, Zürich Philharmonie, Premiere: Zürich Opernhaus – 2018, Watch official trailer, behind the scenes interview video:
Musical excperts:
»Shades of Us« – Augsburg Suite for String Orchestra (26 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Augsburg Ballet Company, Augsburg Philharmonie, Premiere: Augsburg Theater – 2016, Watch trailer to evening “Of Gods and Man” (1st piece) – Video here:
Musical excperts:
»Handman« – tape (recorded) music (25 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, NDT 2 Ballet Company, Premiere: NDT Den Haag – 2016, Watch trailer
»Mutual Comfort« – music for two cellos and two pianos (14 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, NDT 2 Ballet Company, Musicians from Balletorkest Den Haag, Premiere: NDT Den Haag – 2015, Watch trailer, and studio preview video here
»Chamber Minds« – music for violin and harpsichord (25 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Zürich Ballet Company, Hanna Weinmeister – violin, Naoki Kitaya – harpsichord, Premiere: Zürich Opernhaus – 2015, Watch rehearsal trailer, and trailer for the evenening “Stings” video (3rd ballet…)
»No Man’s Land« – Ballet Suite for Cello and Orchestra (35 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Stuttgart Ballet Company, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Premiere: Stuttgart Opera House – 2014, Watch
»Hill Harper’s Dream« – music for two harps (25 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Zürich Ballet Company, Julie Paloc, Anne-Sophie Vandebogaerde – harps, Premiere: Zürich Opernhaus – 2013, Watch Video here
»Quatro« – music for cello and piano (30 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Soloists from Mariinski Theatra, Musicians from Mariinski Theatra Orchestra, Premiere: Mihajlovski Theatra Sankt Petersburg – 2010, Watch part 1, and part 2
»Watching Others« – music for piano and tape (60 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, SNG Maribor Ballet Company, Bojan Gorišek – piano, Premiere: Opera House Maribor – 2010, Watch here
»Pocket Concerto« – tape (recorded) music (25 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, Stuttgart Ballet Company, Premiere: Stuttgart Opera House – 2009
»Four Reasons« – music for violin and piano (45 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, CNB Ballet Company, Vasilij Meljnikov – violin, Milko Lazar – piano, Premiere: Camoes Theater Lisbon – 2008, Opera House Zagreb, HNK Zagreb Ballet Company – 2009, Watch long version trailer, …shorter trailer version 2, ….and backstage excerpt
»Srh / Fever« – music for piano and pecussion ensemble (50 min.), Choreography: Matjaž Farič, Matjaž Farič Ballet Company, Milko Lazar – Piano, Stop percussion quintet, Premiere: Cankarjev dom (Cultural and Congress Center) Ljubljana – 2009, Watch trailer
»Pret-a-porter« – music for two pianos (60 min.), Choreography: Edward Clug, SNG Maribor Ballet Company, Milko Lazar, Bojan Gorišek – pianos, Premiere: Opera House Maribor – 2008, Watch an excerpt here
!Milko has an immense library of completed work that could be used as a resource for any number of creative ventures. Too much so to list as links on this website…. We have supplied embedded files to 3 of his most current musical/choreographic partnerships to date, but please feel free to visit his personal website to learn more of his compositions and creative body of work. And if there might be an interest in working with Mirko and his music we are interested in both the further development of his existing scores for new choreography, as well as the commission of new compositions as needed. Upon request a more exacting and detailed acesss to the Miliko’s creative body of work is available to be explored by potential creative partners… We look forward to hearing from you! 🙂
Click Image to view Trailer of –
Hill Harper’s Dream – Zurich Ballet
All trailers are from choreographies in partnership with
Edward Clug
Click Image to view Trailer of –
Faust – Zürich Ballet
Click Image to view Trailer of –
Ascending Glide – Ballet Augsburg (0′-1’45”)
Click Image to view Trailer of –
Quatro – Mihajlovski Theatra Sankt Petersburg
