Origin Artist

Dedic's phrasing is unpredictable and exciting, and he has a very definite time-feel that is all his own.
Jazz Improv

March 2, 1973 - June 8, 2025

Born in Zagreb on March 2, 1973, Matija started playing classic piano at the age of five. After he finished Music high school Vatroslav Lisinski in 1991, he went to the Jazz Academy in Graz, Austria where he graduated in 1997. He studied under Professor Harald Neuwirth, and private lessons with John Taylor in Cologne, Hal Galper, Bill Dobbins and Barry Harris.

Since he was raised in a family surrounded by pop and traditional musicians, he began to listen to all kinds of music very early, soon discovering jazz and finding that it allowed him an abstract and more personal musical point of view.

After returning to Zagreb in 1997, he began to play more often and his work was recognized in and out of Croatia. During those years he played with his own band "Boliers Quartet," with whom he supported the likes of Benny Golson, Kenny Burrell, Roy Haynes, Jose Feliciano and an "All Star Band". Meanwhile he also had a chance to play in the "Tamara Obrovac Quartet."

Over the years he played in Italy, Germany, Slovakia, England, Brazil, Belgium, Turkey, Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, FYR of Macedonia, France, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, Greece, and the USA with names such as Alvin Queen, Martin Drew, Ron Ringwood, Boko Petrovic, Marc Murphy Band, Patrizia Conte, David Gazarov, Gianni Basso, Miles Griffith, Onder Fokan, J.L. Rassinfosse, Anca Parghel, Tomi Emanuel, Lenny White, Kendrick Scott, Jim Madison, Jeff Ballard, Vicente Archer, Buster Wiliams, Larry Grenadier, N.H.O. Pedersen, Ron Mcclure, Tamara Obrovac, Marek Patrman, Salvatore Maiore, and more.

He writes music for television and theatre, and also occasionally plays with some big pop names on the Croatian music scene. Croatian authors society awarded him for the album "Octopussy" as the best author and best jazz newcomer in the last 10 years.

In July 2002, Matija performed on the Montreux Jazz Festival in France, as one of the 11 finalists that were chosen from more than 400 pianists around the world. His father Arsen Dedic was Yugoslavia's most famous singer/songwriter and received the Italian Premio Tenco Award and the Jacques Brel award, and his mother, the famous pop and jazz singer Gabi Novak, during her long career sang with Louis Armstrong, Gary Burton, Phil Woods, Toots Thielemans, Helen Merril, and Joe Turner, among many others.

RECORDINGS FEATURING Matija Dedic

Matija Dedic

MD in NYC

Origin 82582