Viktorija Pilatovic

In October 2012, jazz singer, composer and arranger Viktorija Pilatovic of just 23 years old performed her original composition “We Could Solve That” with internationally renowned bassist Victor Wooten in Valencia, Spain’s iconic Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia performing arts complex, complete with a rhythm section and backing vocals all scored by the young artist herself.
Her unique arrangement and composition skills were quickly noticed when she arrived at Berklee Valencia in September of 2012 to persue her Masters in Contemporary Studio Performance on a full ride scholarship - In just a few months after her arrival, Viktorija was invited to perform at the Berklee Yamaha All-Stars Concert alongside music legends bassist Abraham Laboriel, saxaphonist Perico Sambeat and vibraphonist Victor Mendoza, in addition to performing her arrangement of “So What” by Miles Davis with a vocal ensemble and backing band at Berklee Valencia’s Welcome Lecture for Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown, Valencian government officials and local media.

Earlier this year, Viktorija found herself the only student invited to participate at the AEC Pop and Jazz Platform in Lille, France, representing the young jazz generation amongst a number of music professionals, discussing teaching methods and the future of jazz education. These accomplishments were made possible by Viktorija’s dedication and perserverance to her craft, starting in the early years of childhood.
Viktorija was born on the 12th of March in 1989 in Klaipeda, Lithuania. At the age of 6 she started playing classical piano, winning many Carl Czerny Piano Competitions. Throughout her childhood, she took part in many children ensembles performing all over country.

In 2007, she began her Bachelor studies in Jazz Vocal at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Since then, she has participated in a number of Jazz contests, such as the International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2008, 2009 and 2010, winning 1st prize in 'Jazz Fountain 2008'.
In 2009, Viktorija was invited to take part in “Klaipeda’s Sea Festival”, appearing at The Tall Ships’ Races where she performed with The Klaipeda town Big-Band, recieving live coverage from Lithuanian national TV and radio.

In 2008, the young artist performed at a festival in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh India hosted by the International Roerich Memorial Trust.
In 2010, Viktorija moved to The Netherlands to further her jazz studies at Prins Claus Conservatorium. Here her style evolved from traditional to contemporary jazz, fusing a number of styles and colors. Viktorija took lessons from J.D. Walter, Ralph Peterson, Alex Sipiagin, David Berkman, Don Braden, Jeff Cascaro, Joris Teepe, Freddie Bryant, Gene Jackson and Robin Eubanks.

In 2011, Viktorija won 3rd prize at the The Nederland Jazz Vocalisten Concours for her completely original arrangement of the famous standard “My Favorite Things”, featuring a solid bass line, modal harmonies and odd time signatures. The show was broadcasted on Radio 6 The Netherlands.

Also in 2011, Viktorija toured Athens, Greece with guitarist and vocalist – Adedeji Adetayo. Following the tour, she returned to Greece with her female jazz Group “The Sound Of Reflection” after the request by many, where they spent playing almost every night for a month.
Viktorija’s success shows no signs of stopping; In March of this year, she found herself performing as a solo artist with PCC Sympho-Jazz orchestra conducted by the legendary John Clayton, in July she performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. She now holds two bachelor’s degrees, one from the Prins Claus Conservatorium and one from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. She is currently studying for her Master's Degree in the Contemporary Studio Performance program at the Berklee College of Music Valencia.

During this time, Viktorija continues to develop arrangements and original compositions with a unique for a wide variety of ensembles at Berklee while strengthening her business skills at the university and developing her own teaching methods. On top of all this, Viktorija is working on her debut album featuring original compositions and unique arrangement of jazz standards, fusing jazz, hip-hop and soul, with an expected release of late 2013. While this young talent is busy working on a number of musical endeavors with a whirlwind of success, it is clear the only direction she is headed is up.