The pianist Egidijus Buožis (b. 1965) develops the mainstream tradition of jazz, fusing the elements of the early piano styles with contemporary jazz idioms.
The pianist has acquired classical piano from the M.K.Čiurlionis School of Arts and the Lithuanian Academy of Music. He started his musician's career as a performer of classical music, giving solo recitals and playing with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.
The musician has fancied jazz since his teens. In 1984 as a student he placed first at the Vilnius International Student Piano Improvisation Competition. Since then he has been performing as a jazz soloist, teamed in a duo, or as group leader. Besides jazz, Buožis composes also pop music. In 1997 he had released his first album Town of Love in jazz-pop style.
To recognize his achievement, the Lithuanian Musicians' Union awarded him with the Gold Disc in 2003. Recently he has been performing mostly with his quartet and has kept composing. He also teaches at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and the National M.K.Čiurlionis School of Arts.
© Jūratė Kučinskaitė
