He has also worked as a studio musician and composed. Since he returned to his homeland he has worked with the whole string of ensembles, especially with the singers of popular music. In the USA he met the croatian jazz guitarist Elvis Stanic, who he later worked with on two discography projects. The performance was conducted at the Croatian Music Institute by the maestro Despalj himself.Īfter his graduation, he won the scholarship by the Berklee College Of Music and he specialized under Bill Pierce (Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers) and Frank Tiberi (Woody Herman Big Band). Being an accomplished student, he was given the opportunity to perform as a soloist accompanied by the Zagreb Philharmonic in the Concert for Saxophone and Orchestra by Pavle Despalj. After the second year in music high school, he switched to saxophone and he graduated in classical music in the class of professor Dragan Sremec at the Music Academy in Zagreb.ĭuring that period he participated in several courses by the famous classical saxophonist professor Claude Delangle (CNSM, Paris). His first contact was with the violin with which he won the fourth prize on the state competition. His musical beginnings go back to when he was seven years old. He has also got several awards on State competitions. He has won many awards, among which are eight Porin awards, six Status awards, Crni Macak award and many nominations. He has participated more than a hundred discography releases, around thirty video spots as a sideman, the whole line of television shows and programs, appearances as a guest player in radio shows. Some of them are known outside Croatia such as: jazz vibraphonist Bosko Petrovic, composer Miljenko Prohaska, guitarist Elvis Stanic, arranger Silvije Glojnaric, etc.
He has graduated in saxophone from Zagreb Academy of Music, and has studied at Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA).įrom classical music, popular music, jazz, soul, funk, playing in various ensembles from small groups to orchestras, from club music (even playing on the street) to concert and sport halls, in fifteen years of his career, Igor Gerzina has worked with almost all important people on the Croatian music scene. He took part in more than a hundred discography editions, composed for film, pop artists and opening songs for TV and radio. He won several Porin Awards (Croatian most prestigious discography award), as well as several Status awards for the best instrumentalist of the year, awarded by the Croatian Musicians Union. Igor Gerzina is award-winning sax player, composer and the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra producer.