Jernej Bregar

Hello!

My name is Jernej Bregar. I am a saxophone player, composer, and educator. I recently completed my bachelor's studies at Codarts and earned an honorary Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree, cum laude, in saxophone. During this period, I studied with and attended masterclasses by some of the highest-caliber musicians in jazz, including Tineke Postma, Benjamin Herman, Bill Frisell, Seamus Blake, Ben Wendel, Melissa Aldana, and Immanuel Wilkins.

As an artist, I have performed extensively in the Netherlands at venues and festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Tuschinski Jazz Festival, and Amare Jazz Festival, among others. I have also performed and toured in Slovenia, Bosnia, and Serbia. In addition to my live performances, I recorded saxophone parts for a film score that was selected for screening at a film festival in Utrecht and I was a guest feature on an album of Femke Mooren, who won "Women in Jazz Prize" 2023. This year, I began my master's studies in Trieste, Italy, and have already performed at various venues and at the Vicenza Jazz Festival. In July, I will be sharing the stage with Grammy Award-winning artist Miguel Zenón.

As an educator, I have been very active over the last four years. During my studies, I completed a minor in Education at the university. I have designed masterclasses for music college students, high school students, and primary school pupils. I have been teaching one-on-one lessons to students ranging in age from 9 to 80 years old. I am currently a teacher at a private music school in Ljubljana. This year, one of my students successfully passed the entrance examinations for three world-renowned jazz colleges: CvA (Amsterdam), the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, and Codarts University (Rotterdam).

As a teacher, I’ve learned that the most effective learning happens in a relaxed, supportive environment where students feel safe to explore, make mistakes, ask questions, and develop their own musical voice.

Each student comes with different goals and motivations, and I enjoy adapting my approach to fit that. Some are highly ambitious and want to pursue music professionally, and with them I focus on structure, clear goals, and detailed work on technique, musicianship, and artistic development. Others play the saxophone simply because they love music and want to enjoy it as part of their life. With them, I focus on keeping that joy alive, building confidence, and helping them express themselves freely through the instrument.

I don’t really see these paths as more or less important than one another. For me, the starting point is always the same: understanding what the student needs and meeting them there. Whether someone is aiming for a stage or simply playing for themselves, I try to support them in a way that keeps them motivated, curious, and connected to music.

I would also like to expand my teaching into group settings, working with several students at once. I find this format very inspiring, as it allows students to learn not only from me but also from each other. In such a setting, I would create a shared “drive” or learning space where each student receives individual comments, tailored assignments, and practice tasks, while still benefiting from the energy and perspective of the group.