Jana Varga [Jazz/American Folk/Gospel]

Jana Varga is releasing her anticipated 2nd album – ‘Chicory’ where she draws inspiration from her folklore heritage and her classical music influences. Jana’s music has been previously likened to songwriters Janis Ian, James Taylor and Paul Simon as she often incorporates traits of jazz, American folk music and gospel in her carefully crafted compositions. It’s always ‘my soul dressed in flavours I picked up on the way’ she says. Chicory album tells stories of childhood innocence, communication & myths of the past and present.

Jana’s debut album Foreigner Face (2023) was shortlisted in the Emerging Artist category of the British Blues Awards, a testimony of its cross-genre appeal.

Jana also performed as part of critically acclaimed ‘Joni Reimagined’ show – a project that pays homage to songs of Joni Mitchell created by Stefan Redtenbacher (Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse) alongside Rumer and Sarah Jane Morris.

In 2024 Jana performed at The Queen Elizabeth Hall of Southbank Centre in London as part of EFG London Jazz Festival, supporting Rumer.

Born into a musical family and raised on the green outskirts of Bratislava (Slovakia), Jana was immersed in music of all genres from a young age. As a child, she was already performing traditional folk songs and went on to study classical piano and flute. Classical music education in Slovakia is accessible to children of all backgrounds and Jana and her siblings went on to study at conservatories in Austria and France. In 2014 she was to become a flautist in Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Czechia when she decided to pursue the career of a singer songwriter and moved to London.

Her debut album Foreigner Face, released in 2023 was co-produced by Fred Mollin (Billy Joel, Jimmy Webb). Jana’s subsequent headline tour introduced her music to a wider UK audience and saw her first international collaboration with Varga Quartett Wien, an Austrian classical string quartet based in Vienna led by her brother Pavol.
This summer, Varga Quartet Vienna and Jana headline Herztakt Scheffau Festival in the Austrian Alps, performing her songs in orchestral arrangements. Jana also tours as a band member of platinum-selling artist Rumer on vocals and flute.

“A really classy sound: a fascinating mixture of styles and really original, as are the lyrics” – Paul Sexton (BBC, The Billboard) 

“The likes of Karen Carpenter, Clannad’s Moya Brennan, Enya, Sally Barker and perhaps Vonda Shepherd all spring to mind, on hearing this gorgeous vocal talent. She’s right up there with those stars in quality, too.” – Music Republic Magazine

Line up:
Jana Varga – vocals, acoustic guitar and piano
Sam Watts – piano