Biography

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

She pursued higher education at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, where she graduated with honors in 2022 in the class of Prof. Gerald Preinfalk. Valeria further refined her artistic profile at the Regional Conservatory of Lyon with Prof. Jean-Denis Michat, and completed her master’s studies in 2025 at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in Barcelona, studying with Prof. Mariano Garcia. She is currently based in Berlin.

From 2019 to 2022, Valeria was actively involved in youth music education as an assistant with the SOS Jr. Saxophone Orchestra, collaborating closely with Prof. Lev Pupis and Prof. Jovana Joka. She later became mentor and conductor of SOSiNTRO, a preparatory ensemble designed for young saxophonists entering the SOS Jr. orchestra.

Valeria has a strong artistic focus on contemporary music and the creation of new works. In March 2021, she premiered Die Welt ist so schön by Herwig Reiter 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 appeared 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, Valeria initiated her first original interdisciplinary project, le moment dansa: the moment will dance. The project united eight young composers from Slovenia, Italy, Montenegro, South Korea, and Israel, alongside visual artists from Hungary and the Netherlands, as well as a team of musicians and a sound engineer. Together, they explored the intersections of music, philosophy and visual art.

Her master’s final project, Muse; the source of inspiration of living female composers focused on living female composers and their sources of inspiration. As part of the project, Valeria conducted in-depth interviews with female composers and presented performances of their works, creating a platform that combined research, dialogue, and live interpretation while highlighting underrepresented voices in contemporary music.

A multiple-time scholarship recipient of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture, Valeria Kučan is dedicated to expanding the contemporary saxophone repertoire and fostering interdisciplinary and international collaboration, bridging classical tradition with innovative artistic expression.