Biography

“She means every note”, US-saxophonist Branford Marsalis said after hearing Maja Lisac play live.

Maja Lisac Barroso is a Slovenian-Swiss saxophonist, adjunct professor and arranger, born in Basel in 1980. After her classical studies in Vienna, Basel and Paris, she has been invited to perform in numerous European countries, Mexico and Australia. Maja Lisac gives masterclasses and is a jury member at international competitions. Her music arrangements are played by soloists like Claude Delangle (CNSM Paris) and Daniel Gauthier.

Claude Delangle: “Maja Lisac shows an energy that gives me a high belief in her career as a musician.”

At home in various musical genres (Classical, Contemporary, Latin, Jazz), Maja Lisac tours solo as well as with several groups: she is a founder of the Zure Saxophone quartet, a member of the international ensemble Intersax, the Insects & Humans Tango group, a duo with bandoneonist Marcelo Nisinman (former protégé of Astor Piazzolla), with pianist Andriy Dragan and the Ensemble Nucleus with newly invented instruments. Maja Lisac received awards and scholarships from Novartis, the canton Basel-Land and the Friedl Wald foundation.

Composer Vinko Globokar (IRCAM, New Phonic Art Ensemble): “Maja Lisac est une personne extrêmement musicienne.”

In 2008, Maja Lisac was elected for a one year residency at the Cité Intérnationale des Arts in Paris, where she collaborated with composers and improvisers (V. Globokar, B, Saljic, I.Leitinger) and performed world premieres of their compositions. In 2009, Maja Lisac became an assistant professor of prof. Marcus Weiss at the Music University in Basel. Currently, Maja Lisac teaches her own classical saxophone class at the University for Musik Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany and at the Jazzcampus Basel, where she gives classical saxophone and technique classes for Jazz Bachelor and Master students, studying with Mark Turner and Domenic Landolf.

Prof. Marcus Weiss: “Maja Lisac’s high level of expertise as well as her human maturity and clarity qualify her to take over a leading position.”

In 2015, Maja Lisac performed twice in duo with US saxophonist Branford Marsalis. She recorded several CDs for the label Solomusica/Sony and for Prospero Classical, and was broadcasted by the Slovenian national television, radio ARS and Swiss Public Radio SRF. In 2023, she will direct her own concert series called “Saxophone & Seasons” in Basel.