BIOGRAPHY
Classical music as a starting point
Originally from Switzerland, Eva Slongo grew up in a family of classical musicians and studied violin at the conservatory. She followed the traditional professional path, earned her diplomas, and initially set her sights on a career within this demanding framework.
Discovering jazz improvisation
One evening, through a chance encounter with musicians in a bar, she discovered jazz improvisation. The experience was a shock : a wave of euphoria so intense that she stayed awake the entire night.
From that moment on, she never stopped working on improvisation on the violin.
A personal signature
Eva trained in jazz violin with Pierre Blanchard in Lausanne, then with Didier Lockwood in Paris, where she ultimately decided to settle for the sake of her music.
At the same time, she also worked on vocal improvisation. This research allowed her to develop a distinctive and widely noticed artistic signature: improvising on the violin while scat singing simultaneously.
The jazz scene and its encounters
In Paris, she met leading figures of gypsy jazz and contemporary jazz, sharing the stage with artists such as Biréli Lagrène, Wawau Adler, Sébastien Giniaux, and Ninine Garcia.
Her travels to New York further fueled her desire to develop a more modern project centered around her own compositions.
First albums and recognition
Eva recorded her first EP, Trésor, with Laurent Coulondre on organ, followed by the album Inspirations in quartet format, with Joran Cariou on piano and Didier Lockwood as a guest artist.
In 2011, she received the Best Improvisation Prize at the Concours International de Violon Stéphane Grappelli, sponsored by Didier Lockwood.
In 2016, her quartet won second prize at the Golden Jazz Trophée.
The creation of the Jazz Violin Academy
Drawing on these years of experience, Eva began giving masterclasses internationally. She felt a growing desire to pass on her approach to jazz violin, yet struggled to find the time and structure to do so.
Her first pregnancy, which led her to slow down her concert schedule, marked a turning point. She dedicated her time to creating a new educational concept and founded the Jazz Violin Academy, an international online jazz violin school that has since become the top Google reference on the subject, as well as a method entitled A new way to learn swing on the violin.
A journey in constant motion: new musical projects
Today, Eva leads several musical projects, reflecting the diversity of her background and influences, performing throughout Europe, North America, and South America:
– With Giovanni Mirabassi, in duo and quartet formats, around original compositions and jazz standards, including the album Souffle (2022), which blends jazz and classical music.
– With Jimmy Grant, a gypsy jazz duo, accompanied by various musicians depending on the country.
– With Baptiste Bailly, in a quartet combining jazz, classical music, and Eastern European influences, also performing as a more intimate duo.
– With Swing 23, an international instrumental quartet revisiting gypsy swing, New York jazz from the 1920s to the 1940s, as well as original compositions.