Saxophonist Jan Gričar (1992) belongs to the young prosperous Slovenian saxophone generation. He works with various composers, with whom he tries to explore and enrich saxophone repertoire in different musical styles. He teaches saxophone and chamber music at the Conservatory of music and ballet Ljubljana.
He received his first saxophone lessons in music school Trebnje from professor David Kocijan and continued his musical education at the Conservatory of music and ballet Ljubljana with professor Dejan Prešiček. He graduated with the highest grade ‘summa cum laude’ from Academy of music in Ljubljana in the classes of professors Matjaž Drevenšek and Miha Rogina. Jan continued his studies in France where he was a student of professor Vincent David at the Regional conservatory in Versailles. He finished his master studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris in the class of professor Claude Delangle, where he also got a degree in chamber music in the class of professor Laszlo Hadady.
Jan performs all over Slovenia and Europe as well as in Japan. He was invited by many international festivals such as Jeunes Talents (France), Young Classic Europe (Germany), Nei Suoni dei Luoghi (Italy), Lent, Glasbena mladina ljubljanska and Glasbena mladina Slovenije (Slovenia). He is a member of the Niobé saxophone quartet and Duo Novum with the accordionist Nejc Grm.
As a soloist he has so far performed with the RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of the Academy of Music Ljubljana, Wind Orchestra Trieste, Veteran Brass band Ljubljana, Woodwind Quintet Ariart and Ljubljana Music and Ballet Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. In October 2014 he was a soloist at a concert that is part of the concert season Kromatika (organized by RTV Slovenia Symphonic orchestra) where he successfully performed Henri Tomasi's Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra with aforementioned orchestra and maestro En Shao.
In 2008 he was a finalist at the competition Eurovision young musicians in Vienna, where he performed with the Vienna Symphonic orchestra and conductor Aleksandar Marković. He was chosen as a Slovenian representative at the international Euroradio - EBU competition New talent 2015. As one of the three finalists he performed at the gala concert in the Bratislava Philharmonie together with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under Boian Videnoff.
In February 2010 he was presented with Lucijan Marija Škerjanc Award for exceptional artistic achievements, which Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana awards to its best students. In 2012 he received the Prešeren award of University in Ljubljana (awarded to one student per year for his or her significant artistic achievement) and received a scholarship from Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe. He is also a scholarship holder of the Ministry of culture Slovenia.
