Jan Prax is one of Europe’s most distinctive and versatile saxophonists. Born into a German-Polish family of musicians, he began playing piano at age three before discovering jazz saxophone as a teenager. He studied with renowned teachers and received scholarships from the Baden Conservatory, the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, and the Baden-Württemberg Art Foundation. Prax earned his bachelor’s degree with top honors from the University of Music Nuremberg and completed his master’s degree at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in 2019.
He has received numerous awards, including the Future Sounds Jazz Prize (Leverkusen Jazz Days), the Sparda Jazz Award, the Czech Jazz Contest, and the Made in New York Jazz Competition, judged by Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, and Lenny White, as well as several classical prizes. He has also appeared as a classical soloist with orchestras such as the Westdeutsche Sinfonia, performing Alexander Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto in E-flat major, op. 109.
Jan Prax performs internationally across Europe, the USA, Asia, North Africa, and Latin America. Recent highlights include tours in China (2023) and Colombia (2024), performances at Blue Note Beijing and Jazz à Juan Festival, and appearances as opening act for Diana Krall, Steve Gadd, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Klaus Doldinger’s Passport. He has collaborated with artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, and Riccardo del Fra, and has worked across a wide range of contexts including orchestral projects, modern jazz, pop, and hip-hop collaborations with Max Mutzke, Dexter, Xatar, and the Heavytones.
His critically acclaimed albums Keepin’ A Style Alive (ACT), Ascending (Challenge Records), and Head To The Sky (Double Moon) reflect a personal sound rooted in jazz tradition and shaped by modern, cross-genre influences. He also appears on Riccardo del Fra’s award-winning album Moving People and is currently working on a new quartet album with Carl-Henri Morisset, Zhitong Xu, and del Fra.
