VACLAV PALKA

Vaclav Palka (*1992, Czech Republic) is a drummer, composer, arranger, and band leader who gained his Bachelor in Jazz Performance at the Janacek Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, CZ.  In addition, he spent a year as an exchange student at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Denmark. Recently, Vaclav is a student at the Jazz Campus Basel, where he just started his Master in Jazz Performance, Composition, and Production in the class of Jeff Ballard and Guillermo Klein. In 2016, he was accepted to The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Arts in New York and The City College of New York.

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During his studies, Vaclav took part in the Keep an Eye Summer Jazz Workshop held by the Manhattan School of Music and the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with such artists as John Riley, Jay Anderson, Becca Stevens, and Dick Oatts. Additionally, he had the chance to attend workshops with Brian Blade, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Ziv Ravitz. Privately, Vaclav has taken lessons with Eric Harland, Jochen Rueckert, Jim Black, Ari Hoenig and Colin Stranahan. During his studies, he had also the opportunity to work with Larry Grenadier, Mark Turner, Bill McHenry, Jorge Rossy, and Aydin Esen.

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His short career includes concerts and recording sessions with artists like David Doruzka, Sullivan Fortner, Iva Bittova, Jiri Slavik, Libor Smoldas, Beata Hlavenkova, Tomas Liska, Zuzana Lapcikova, Nikola Zaric, Didrik Ingvaldsen, Arthur Tuznik, Gabor Bolla, Pavel Zlamal and many more.  Vaclav joined the faculty of ICMS Basel in 2018.