Biography

Valeria Kučan (1999) began her music education at the age of seven at the Music School Murska Sobota in Slovenia. After completing her primary music studies under the guidance of Prof. Jasmina Dajčman, she continued her training at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana, studying with Prof. Lev Pupis and Prof. Jan Gričar.

Valeria continued her studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Graz, graduating with honors in 2022 under the mentorship of Prof. Gerald Preinfalk. She then pursued further education at the Regional Conservatory of Lyon with Prof. Jean-Denis Michat, and she is currently studying her master studies at the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya in Barcelona in the class of Prof. Mariano Garcia.

Between 2019 and 2022, she contributed actively to youth music education as an assistant to the SOS Jr. Saxophone Orchestra, working closely with Prof. Lev Pupis and Prof. Jovana Joka. Her role evolved into that of mentor and conductor of SOSiNTRO, a preparatory ensemble for young saxophonists preparing to join the larger SOS Jr. orchestra.

Valeria is passionate about contemporary music and the creation of new works. In March 2021, she premiered Herwig Reiter’s composition “Die Welt ist so schön” for alto saxophone, vibraphone, and seven-part mixed choir. The performance was conducted by Yu Hao Huang under the artistic direction of Johannes Prinz and Rahaela Durič.

In July 2023, she performed as a soloist with the Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra and string section, conducted by Mitja Dragolič, at the Opening Ceremony of the European Youth Olympic Festival at Ljudski vrt Stadium in Maribor.

That same year, she launched her first original interdisciplinary project, “le moment dansa: the moment will dance”. The project brought together eight young composers from Slovenia, Italy, Montenegro, South Korea, and Israel; visual artists from Hungary and the Netherlands; and a team of musicians and a sound engineer, exploring the intersection of music, movement, and visual art.

Valeria has been a multiple-time scholarship recipient of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture, and her work continues to bridge classical tradition with contemporary innovation. She is dedicated to expanding the saxophone repertoire and collaborating with artists across disciplines and cultures.