Astrid Kuljanic

Born in Rijeka, Croatia, in 1979. Completed the elemetary school of music playing the violin. During her youth she participated at different music workshops where she composed songs that are being played by children’s choirs today. In 1997 Astrid graduated from the Oldfields School, Glencoe, MD, USA. In 2005 she graduated chemical engineering from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Astrid sang with popular groups such as “Putokazi” and “Šajeta”.

After graduation she has completely dedicated herself to music and is one of the founders of the Mildreds quintet. They appear on the stage both in Croatia and Slovenia and have represented Croatia on the prestigious Europafest in Bucharest, Romania. With Mildreds, Astrid has recorded two records, entitled “The Dust Busters” and “Life Inside The Ears” (Aquarius Records, 2007 and 2009).

Recently, Astrid cooperates with regional, acknowledged musicians as a singer and composer: Krunoslav Levačić, Uroš Rakovec, Žiga Golob, Blaž Celarec, Elvis Penava, Henry Radanović, Spartaco ÄŒrnjarić, Branimir Gazdik, Tonči Grabušić, Blaž Pucihar, Zvjezdan Ružić.. and in 2012. she has been invited to perform with the most popular Hungarian gipsy violinist Roby Lakatos as a guest star on his concert in Lisinski Venue in Zagreb.

Astrid has also educated herself through various musical workshops: the most important was a seminar of free jazz music held by outstanding saxophone and piano player Charles Gayle from New York who invited her to come study with him in NYC which she did for a month in 2011; a seminar of jazz singing at summer’s program of Berklee School of Music within Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy; jazz singing by Judy Niemack and Jay Clayton, one of the best known educators in jazz singing; big band workshop held by the famous British piano player Keith Tippett; percussion seminar by Jarrod Cagwin, and musical workshop by extraordinary guitar player Marc Ribot.

In 2010 Astrid enrolled at the Music Conservatorium G. Tartini in Trieste, Italy, where she received a scholarship as the best student of the year. She won 1.st prize –the best song at Chansonfest 2012 for a song she wrote “Kamo je fini ov dan”.

Astrid taught singing in a private music school Groove Sound & Music School in 2008 and 2009. She also organized a cycle entitled “Nude Music” with Kruno Levačić in the Community Cultural Centre Trešnjevka, Zagreb. She is a founder of Crescendo Music Festival in Cres and has organized festivals since 2008. Since 2011 she has cooperated with the concert agency Artagent Zagreb that organizes classical season in the city of Rijeka.