Ľudmila Štefániková,

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vibraphonist, pianist, singer, composer and arranger, is a multifaceted artist with deep interest in contemporary improvised music. 

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Ludmila has been involved in music since she was a child. Born in Bratislava, while Slovakia was still in union of Czechoslovakia, in a family of professional musicians, writers, and actors, Ludmila began playing piano at the age of five, began singing soprano in the Children’s Choir of Bratislava at age nine, and started playing the drums at age thirteen. Ludmila’s mother, classical music singer and renowned voice professor, and father, sound engineer, played a large role in her musical development. 

 

Ludmila performed solely classical music until her early 20’s when her friend gave her a Steps Ahead band album. At that time she was a classical percussion student at State Conservatory of Bratislava, but she was so captivated by Mike Mainieri’s playing that upon completion of the classical training she moved to Paris, and later Boston, to study jazz vibraphone for which she was a recipient of many prestigious awards and scholarships.

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Ludmila gave numerous concerts around the world including the United States, Canada, and most countries of Europe. She was privileged to perform and represent her Slovak roots at many diplomatic and cross-cultural events.

She has released two award winning albums (Be Beautiful, Rainbow Memories for 17-piece Jazz Orchestra, 2011 and ElectriCITY, 2013), and has been composing original music for theatre, independent shorts and documentaries.

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To cite a few, Ludmila was nominated for the 2012 Most Successful Slovak Women Living Abroad award given by the popular Slovak magazine Slovenka. She also won the 2012 Best Interactive Performance and Jazz Interpretation Award in the annual Slovak Jazz Society national competition.

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Ludmila’s last name Štefánik (in slavic countries, -ova is added for female last names) is from a long line of innovators and trailblazers, including the famous Milan Rastislav Štefánik who was the General of the French Army during WWI, diplomat, astronomer and a co-founder of Czechoslovakia.

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Ludmila is endorser of the MalletKAT Pro, the electronic MIDI vibraphone from Alternate Mode.

Ludmila uses exclusively VATER Mallets, such as in the Metallica's Master of Puppets cover.

Ludmila is also passionate about WoodPack, the slit drum percussion, for which she produces entertaining demonstration videos : He's a Pirate cover.