Biography
Alek Sekulovski has been playing, teaching, and recording drums for over 30 years.
He holds a Master's degree in Pop & Jazz drums. Studied with Ron Savage (Berklee College of Music) and Hristo Yotchov (SAM). He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Academy at the University of Goce Delchev based in Shtip, Republic of Macedonia. He contributed 7 years of teaching as an Associate Professor of drums and percussion, where he mentored and helped many young generations of jazz students to develop in Macedonia.
Currently, he works as a Drum Professor at Metalworks Institute of Sound And Technology in Toronto, Canada. Besides this teaching position, he is a resident studio drummer at Big Bang Recording studios in Toronto. He also keeps his teaching schedule busy doing online teaching and educative work helping drum students around the globe
He has recorded over 80 albums, played thousands of live concerts, as well as TV and Theatre performances in the UK, Europe, USA, Scotland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Sweden, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Albania, Ukraine, UAE among others. He appears on major music festivals around the world, like the Berlin Jazz Festival, the Skopje Jazz Festival, Istanbul Jazz Festival the Sziget Festival, Balkan Fever Festival, Rotterdam World Music Festival, and Rio Loco Festival among others.
EDucation / teaching / lecures
> EDUCATION .....................................................................................................................................................
2000 - Master’s Degree, Master of Pop & Jazz drumming, New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria
1999 - Bachelor of Music, Pop & Jazz drums, “Pancho Vladigerov” State Music Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria
1997 - Jazz drumming diploma, Berklee College of Music, Berklee in Umbria, Umbria, Italy
> ACADEMIC & TEACHING POSITION ................................................................................................................
2015 to present - METALWORKS, Institute of Sound & Music Production, Toronto, Canada, Drum Instructor,
2012 to present - Big Bang Recording studios, Recording, producing, drum instruction, Toronto
2012 to present - DMP, School of music and recording, drum instruction, Toronto, Canada
2012 to present - Ontario Professional School of Art & Music, Toronto, Canada
2007 to 2014 - University Goce Delchev, Academy of Music, Shtip, Macedonia, Associate Professor of drums and percussion
> LECTURES / CLINICS .....................................................................................................................................
Various drum clinics and lectures held in Canada, France, UK, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Italy, Bulgaria.
Among others: Skopje Drum Talks, Metalworks, Guitar Festival, Cerkno Jazz Festival, Porta Jazz Festival
University Goce Delchev, Jazz Department, 3-day workshop and clinics with UCLA, ‘’Mungus Orchestra”
with Professor James Newton LA, USA, Shtip, Macedonia
National Academy of Music Pancho Vladigerov, Sofia, Bulgaria
Association “Balkan Transit”, four-day workshop on Balkan odd time music and improvisational style of
drumming, Caen, France
World Biennale of Young Artists, Skopje, Macedonia
PERFORMANCES / TOURING / FAMOUS Venues
> PERFORMANCES, RECORDINGS, TOURING WITH ..........................................................................................
USA: Greg Hopkins, Gustavo Aguilar, New Birth Brass Band, Oscar Salas, Sex Mob
CANADA: Voda & Davor Jordanovski, Two Rooms Live Project, Gyles, Duff Musiq, The Sound Parade, Ria Recce Band, Craig Titus, Wendy Irvine, Dave Patel, Carlos Amaran, RobTardik, Zim Zum Quartet, Freeman Brothers, Jay Danley, Vickie Van Dyke, Mike Freedman, Enrico Galante, Jeff Salem
FRANCE: Hector Zazou, Michael Barbaud, Michael Barto, Olivier Samulian
ITALY: Andrea Zannineti, Francesco Bearzatti, NAP Orchestra
UK: Mark O’Leary, Trevor Watts, Touch And Go
BULGARIA: Theodosii Spasov, Doni & Momchil, Jazz Breakers, Lili Ivanova, KG Band, Slavi Trifonov, Trip,4 times a week, Beloslava
TURKEY: Izzet Kizil
GREECE: Kostas Theodorou
AUSTRALIA: Natalia Mann
AUSTRIA: Arabel Von Karajan
MACEDONIA: Toni Kitanovski, Vasil Hadzimanov, Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, Tanec, Vlatko Stefanovski, Marija Jazz Qtet, Zlatko Origjanski, Georgi Sareski 5tet, Karolina Gocheva, John Ilija Aplegren, Simon Kiselicki, Saso Popovski Trio, Foltin, Tumbao Salsa band, Ljuboyna, Project Zlust, Chokance, Orion
> SELECTED PRESTIGIOUS VENUES & CLUBS ...................................................................................................
USA: Macedonian Cultural Centre, Nublu Club [New York]
GERMANY: BrotFabrik [Frankfurt], Telrgraph [Leipzig] Quazimodo[Berlin]
HOLLAND: Bourbon Street [Amsterdam] Bird [Rotterdam]
ITALY: Blue Note, [Milano], Villa Del Arte, Alexanderplatz [Roma] Puglia [Sicily]
TURKEY: Nublu Club, Theater of Arts [Istanbul]
CANADA: The Rex Club, Jazz Bistro, Isabelle Bader Theatre [Toronto]
AUSTRIA: Porgy & Bess, Joe Zawinul's Birdland, OST Club, Szecne [Vienna]
SWITZERLAND: Moods, Barrio5 [Zurich]
UK: Pizza Express, Ronnie Scott’s, Posh Jazz Club, Pizza on the Park, Barbican Centre of Arts[London] FRANCE: La Belle Villoise, Au Club [Paris], Le Cargo [Caen], Quai Des Arts [Argentan]
BELGIUM: Bozar, The Music Village [Brussels]
Denmark: Global [Copenhagen]
RUSSIA: National theatre of Moscow, St. Petersburg Theatre
Croatia: Aquarius, BP Club [Zagreb]
Slovenia: Jazz Paradise Gajo [Ljubljana]
Albania: Take Five [Tirana]
Bulgaria: Swingin Hall, Studio 5, Art Cafe, Sofia Live Club [Sofia]
Serbia: Stari Bitef [Beograd]
Media / tHEATRE / tv / Awards
> TV APPEARANCES / MUSIC SHOWS .............................................................................................................
2009 - 2011, Resident Drummer with Tumbao Salsa Band for the Music Show Program “Cotton Club”
on Alfa TV, Macedonia
1998 - 2000, Resident Drummer with Kanleto Grand band for the Late Night Show “Kanaleto”, Bulgaria.
> THEATRE PLAYS / MUSIC PERFORMANCES ..................................................................................................
2010 - Berlin Theatre of Arts & National Theatre of Macedonia, “Fist Full of Love”, Berlin, Germany
2005 - National Theatre of Bitola, “Richard the Third”, Macedonia
2005 - Universal Hall Theatre, “Cosmic Debris”, Skopje, Macedonia
2004 - National Theatre of Bitola, “Jerome”, Macedonia
2004 - National Theatre of Macedonia, “Frankenstein”, Skopje, Macedonia
2003 - National Theatre of Bitola, “Antigone”, Macedonia
2003 - National Theatre of Bitola, “Money kills you”, Macedonia
2000 - National Theatre of Bulgarian Army, “Bure Barut”, Sofia, Bulgaria
> MOVIES / MUSIC SOUNDTRACKS 2015 ......................................................................................................
2015 “Breaking Point” by Davor Jordanovski, TSN TV;
2012 “Jezek”, Documentary by Petra Seliskar;
2011 “The Berlin Project”, feature movie by Ivo Trajkov;
2008 “French Eye in Macedonia”, TV Documentary;
2007 “Movie”, feature film by Ivo Trajkov.
> RADIO DOCUMENTARIES ...............................................................................................................................
2006 - Author of the project “The evolution of drums - from New Orleans to present”,
24 radio episodes broadcasted at Jazz Fm, Skopje, Macedonia
> AWARDS / SCHOLARSHIPS / PRIZES / GRANTS .............................................................................................
2004 - Award for the Best Music for theatre, Vojdan Chernodrinski Festival of Drama, Macedonia
2004 - Award for the Best Theatre play, Vojdan Chernodrinski Festival of Drama, Macedonia
2003 - Grand Prix for the best Theatre play “Money Kills You” at “Slavyanski Venec”, Moscow, Russia
2002 - Grand Prix for the best Theatre play “Money kills you” at “Slavia”, Belgrade, Serbia
1999 - 2000 Open Society Institute - Scholarship Award, for Master Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria
1997 - Full Scholarship grant - Berklee College of Music at Umbria Jazz, Italy
1996 - 1999 Open Society Institute - Scholarship Award, full tuition for four-year study at State Academy of Music, Sofia, Bulgaria
1990 - Best drummer, Rock Festival, Macedonia
1991 - Best drummer, Pop Rock Fest, Macedonia
Discography
2022 - Jordan Taylor 5tet, Sign of the times, TBR, USA
2022 - Toni Kitanovski Afro Gitano Orchestra, Enja Records, Munich, Germany
2022 - Steve Moring Group, TBR, Texas, USA
2021 - Duff Musiq - "Urban Love", DM Production, Toronto, Canada
2021 - The Junkshop Theatre, "Chicane" Vol.4, DM Production, Toronto, Canada
2021 - The Junkshop Theatre, "Face your fears" Vol.3, DM Production, Toronto Canada
2021 - Toronto Connections feat.Selcuk Suna, TBR, Toronto, Canada
2021 - Davor Jordanovski & Voda, “Voda 2”, BBR, TBR, Toronto, Canada
2021 - Michele White, TBR, Toronto, Canada
2021 - Duff Musiq, “Sidewalk sequel”, DM Production, Toronto, Canada
2021 - Les Chiclettes, TBR, Montreal, Canada
2021 - Vasil Hadzimanov Trio, “Melody Rhimes 44.1”, MoonJune records, New York, USA
2020 - The Freeman Brothers, "Merry Little Christmas album", Toronto, Canada
2019 - Davor Jordanovski feat Scott & Julian, “The Partings”, New York, USA
2019 - Davor Jordanovski & Voda, “Voda”, BBR, Toronto, Canada
2018 - Vickie Van Dyke, “Under the influence”, BBR, Canada
2018 - Rob Tardik, “Synergy”, RTP, Toronto, Canada
2018 - Simon Kiselicki Trio, "Jamajla", Jazz Fortnight, Skopje, Macedonia
2017 - Gyles, “Gyles”, DMP, Toronto, Canada
2017 - Miki Petkovski & Davor Jordanovski, TBR, Toronto, Canada
2017 - Duff Musiq, ”Souleash”, DM Production, Toronto, Canada
2016 - Goce Micanov Quartet, “Jazz Standards live”, Jazz FM Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2016 - Kitanovski, Hadzimanov, Sekulovski, “Live at Porgy & Bess”, Vienna, Austria
2015 - Davor Jordanovski “Breaking Point” Movie Soundtrack, TSN TV, Toronto, Canada
2015 - Popovski, Sekulovski, Josifovski, Blagoev Quartet, “Gathering”, Јazz Fortnight Records, Skopje
2015 - Jazz only Jazz compilation, Enja Records, Munchen, Germany
2014 - Toni Kitanovski Trio, ”3lll3”, SJF Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2014 - Tumbao Salsa Band, “Bella Salsita”, PR Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2013 - Yellow Bird World music compilation. Enja Records, München, Germany
2013 - Snappy Suits, “Summit of Shamans”, London, UK
2012 - Toni Kitanovski “Jezek”, Music Documentary by Petra Seliskar, Czech Republic
2012 - Toni Kitanovski Јazz Band featuring Greg Hopkins, Oscar Salas, and Izzet Kizil, “Boston”, SJF Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2011 - Toni Kitanovski “The Berlin Project” Movie Soundtrack, Czech Republic
2011 - Toni Kitanovski & Cherkezi, featuring Bob Stewart and Paquito Echevarria, “Shukar”, ENJA Records, Munich, Germany
2011 - Vasil Hadzimanov Trio, “El Raval”, SJF Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2010 - Petar Rendzov, “Temjanika”, PR Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2010 - Marija Jazz Quartet, “Make Someone Happy”, SJF Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2010 - Various Artists, “Shutka my home town”, FOSIM, Macedonia / Slovenia
2009 - Various Artists, “Dal Met Fu Sessions”, Bagi, Jazz Fm, Dalmetfu Co, Macedonia
2009 - Various Artists, “Jazz from Macedonia”, SJF Records, Macedonia
2009 - Amalia Baraona, "Old devil moon" EP, Jazz Fm, Skopje, Macedonia
2009 - Petar Rendzov, “Bridal Dream”, PR Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2009 - Don Guido & the Missionaries, “Bosnian Blues”, Chicken Madness Records, Macedonia
2009 - Hector Zazou, Compilation, France
2009 - Project Zlust, “Incubator”, SJF Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2008 - Toni Kitanovski “French Eye in Macedonia”, TV Documentary music, Paris, France
2008 - Project Zlust, “Project Zlust and Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra”, Chicken Madness Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2008 - Karolina Gocheva, “Makedonsko Devojche”, Avalon Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2007 - Various Artists, “Beginner’s Guide to Eastern Europe”, Nacente Records, UK
2007 - Mystic E "In Getzimany Garden'', Sofia, Bulgaria
2007 - Toni Kitanovski “Movie”, Movie Soundtrack feature film by Ivo Trajkov, Czech Republic
2006 - Various Artists, “Romano Suno - 2”, B92 Records, Serbia
2006 - Various Artists, “Gypsy Garden - 2”, Lola’s World Records, Germany
2006 - Georgi Shareski & Francesco Bearzatti Quartet, “SoHoHo”, Chicken Madness Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2006 - Toni Kitanovski & Cherkezi, “Borderlands”, ENJA Records, Munich, Germany
2005 - Karolina Gocheva, “Vo Zaborav”, Avalon Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2005 - Ljubojna, “Money Kills You”, BZ Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2004 - Music for Theatre, Mag Records, Skopje. Macedonia
2001 - Labish Trio feat. Gustavo Aguilar, TBR, MRTV Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2001 - Lili Ivanova, “Love is Stronger Than Anything”, Shinny World Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
2001 - Doni , “Doni”, Stars Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
2000 - Foltin, “Archimed”, Mag Records, Skopje, Macedonia
2000 - Various Artists, “Macedonian Document” vol. 2, MRTV, Macedonia
2000 - Various Artists, “Macedonian Document” vol. 1, MRTV, Macedonia
2000 - Kanale Grand Band, Live in Bulgaria, Art MediaRecords, Sofia, Bulgaria
2000 - Kanale Grand Band, “Juzni Strasti”, Art Media Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1999 - Kanale Grand band, “Kanaleto & Friends” part 3, Art Media Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1999 - Kanale Grand band, “Kanaleto & Friends” part 2, Art Мedia Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 - Kanale Grand band, “Kanaleto & Friends” part 1, Art Media Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 - Various Artist, Music Soundtrack Sessions "Ramno", BNT, Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 - Various Artist, Theatre Soundtrack Music Sessions, "Balkan is not dead" BAT, Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 - Jazz Breakers, "Tribal tech", ART Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 - The Jazz Breakers, “The Swinging Hall sessions“, ART Records, Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
1997 - Andrea Zaninnetti, "Basking in Umbria", Indie Label, Switzerland
1997 - Trip, “Neo-Soul” EP, ART Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1997 - Four Times a week, “Live at the Swinging hall”, ART Records, Sofia, Bulgaria
1996 - Homosapiens, "Sessions", Indie Label, Bitola, Macedonia
1995 - Vision Pit, "V Cekor", Indie label, Bitola, Macedonia
1994 - Green Grass Dreams, "Torches", Indie Label, Bitola, Macedonia
1994 - BT Rok Fest 2 - Compilation, Radio Bitola, Macedonia
1993 - BT Rok Fest 1 - Compilaton, Radio Bitola, Macedonia
1993 - Cokance, "Sessions", Indie Label, Bitola, Macedonia
1993 - Orion, ''Execration Behind The Walls'', Orion Rds, Bitola, Macedonia
1992- Pop Rock Fest 2, MRT, Skopje, Macedonia
1992 - Orion, “Banishing Souls”, Orion Rds, Bitola, Macedonia
1991 - Orion, “Dreams of reality”, Orion Rds, Bitola, Macedonia
1990 - Orion, ''Underground Warrior'', Orion Rds, Bitola, Macedonia
Photo Gallery
> REVIEWS .............................................................................................................................................................
Rolling Stone, [German edition]
„These Macedonian gentlemen are well above the excessive line of Balkan brass bands. The Roma tradition jazzes-up the three-generations-combo with Samba and Afro approaches and almost grotesque outings in the classical music with Satie, even classifying them with their gypsy-melancholy closely to the New Orleans marching bands“ **** [Very Good]
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany, by Rolf Thomas
“...Toni Kitanovski and his Orchestra isn’t just any Balkan brass band. The individual class of its musicians reminds of the bands of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus or Sun Ra...”
Süddeutsche Zeitung Weekend Edition, Germany, by Karl Bruckmaier December
“Borderlands“ by Toni Kitanovski “Discovery of the year”
Concerto Magazine, Austria, by Richard Schubert December
„Borderlands“ by Toni Kitanovski & Cherkezi „Borderlands stands out artistically mountain-high above the usual “Ethno-diet” and proves to be one of the most exciting experiments between Jazz and World-Music of recent times”. ***** [Excellent]
Discos Argentinos, Argentina
“...To simply name this original music exploring new sounds as folk would be dangerous. It is based on traditional, folklore themes, but also some new ones that have an old-fashioned flavor. These musicians have filled the vintage oak barrels with some new vine, of the best quality!”
Stuttgarter Zeitung, Germany
„Musically speaking, the meeting between the East and West creates a Universe of its own...and the performance of Toni Kitanovski & Cherkezi Orchestra has wonderfully told the story of what the East and West can create”
Contact Me
For any inquiries regarding online lessons, playing or recording feel free to contact me. Thank You
Alek Sekulovski
