Home » Member Page

Tihomir Stojiljkovic

Self-taught jazz pianist and composer, playing modern Balkan jazz!

About Me

 Jazz pianist and composer Tihomir Stojiljkovic released his debut solo piano album, the first part of a trilogy, on March 17, 2019, with seven original compositions, that take us on a journey to discover the treasures of Balkan musical heritage, tastefully reinvented through the language of modern jazz.  

       “I've never heard deeper music… TIHOMIR dug up the Balkan region in full” – Bojan Z (Serbian/French jazz pianist & composer)

        TIHOMIR was born in the small town of Leskovac, in the south of Serbia. At six, he started mainly playing traditional music on the accordion. At sixteen, he improvised in various musical genres on keyboards. In his early twenties, he developed his own piano style that would later qualify as Balkan jazz. 

        “This is so special! His music makes me stop, close my eyes, and go floating with it” - Marwa Gamal Aldine (fan from Egypt)

        TIHOMIR is a self-educated jazz musician, who was raised in a not-so-jazzy environment and barely had the use of a real piano. His musicianship evolved from years of wandering, listening to his heroes (Keith Jarret, Paco de Lucia, Chick Corea, John Mclaughlin, Thelonious Monk, Billy Cobham, and all the others...), and collecting every piece of knowledge he came across, gradually painted the big picture he was holding in his heart.  

       „Learning to play jazz was not the only challenge for me, but also to sound in a particular way, determined by my background... I had to take a completely unknown path, in every sense of the word...“  

        A second solo piano album “Solo Update” the part of a trilogy, in which he takes us in his remarkable way further on the journey through the Balkans was out on Feb 21, 2022. 

       Recorded at “Tikark” studio on Bechstein grand, “Solo Update” brings us seven new original compositions, exploring the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms of Balkan folklore...

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it gives me great freedom to express myself! I was first exposed to jazz as a teenager. The best show I ever attended was the Chick Corea Electric Band in Athens. My advice to new listeners is to always go deeper into the music...