Location: Manhattan, NYC
Education
- Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Berklee College of Music
- Master of Music in Global Jazz, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, summa cum laude
Experience
Pavle has over six years of teaching experience, working with students of all ages and levels in both private and classroom settings. He has served as a teaching artist for Berklee College of Music’s City Music ArtsLink program and the New England Conservatory’s expanded education program, and he has taught privately in the U.S. and abroad. At Berklee, he created Sound Explorers, an interactive curriculum where students explore classical, jazz, folk, and contemporary genres, learning about their history and interconnectedness while composing their own music.
Bio
Pavle Z. is a Serbian pianist, composer, and educator based in New York City. He began performing professionally at a young age, appearing as a soloist at international festivals in Serbia before moving to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music. As a performer and recording artist, Pavle has released Small Hours (2023), a solo piano album blending classical, jazz, and Balkan-folk traditions, and Masonic Brunch (2024), the debut of his 12-piece alternative rock band Voodoo Baby Aliens. He has performed at major festivals and venues including the Panama Jazz Festival, Nišville Jazz Festival, Budapest Jazz Club, The Lilypad, and Boston Progressive Jazz Festival. In addition to his work as a performer, Pavle is the founder and artistic director of the Youth Jazz & Rock Festival in Serbia. In this role, he curates performances and educational programs, moderates masterclasses in composition, improvisation, and pedagogy, and leads panels with international guest artists. The festival has brought Berklee faculty, students, and alumni together with Balkan musicians, creating a long-term space for collaboration between Serbia and the U.S. Notable participants include Marco Pignataro, Vasil Hadzimanov, Marko Djordjevic, Juan Saus, and Ali Tahir. Pavle’s long-term vision includes establishing a Berklee scholarship for Serbian students and expanding cross-cultural outreach programs. Throughout his career, Pavle has performed with and recorded alongside an impressive roster of artists, including:
• Marco Pignataro (Managing Director, Berklee Global Jazz Institute)
• John Lockwood (legendary Boston bassist)
• Marko Djordjevic (drummer and Berklee professor)
• Juan Saus (The Charts I Recorded With My Friends While in Boston, 2025)
• Martina Sabariego (Forces & Battlements, 2025)
• Khalid Razick (Ancestral Dance, 2025)
• Baris Kadem (Ask Ile, 2025)
• Nikola Radonjic (Cross the Line, 2021)
• Mina Nystad (Love on Loan, 2024, co-producer)
• Pavle Z. (Small Hours, 2023; Masonic Brunch, 2024)
As a teacher, Pavle emphasizes creativity, musical exploration, a strong foundation in technique and theory, and fun! He encourages students to develop their own voice—whether through improvisation, classical repertoire, contemporary popular genres, or original compositions—while fostering a supportive environment where music remains both fun and meaningful. His teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that “music is a fundamental human right, and it is crucial to keep it accessible and relevant for everyone.”