SHORT BIO

 

Kārlis Auziņš is one of the brightest saxophonists and composers of contemporary jazz and improvised music in the Baltics. His work as a composer and improviser is marked by a strong artistic identity, curiosity, originality and expressive intensity.
 

In 2025, Auziņš received Latvia’s highest state award in music, the Latvian Grand Music Award, for outstanding performance in jazz, having previously been nominated for the award in 2023. In 2026, his double trio album “Equilibrium Suite” received the Zelta Mikrofons, Latvia’s principal national music recording award, for Best Jazz Album. His recordings have received further Zelta Mikrofons recognition across jazz and classical music, including a Best Jazz Album award for “Baltic” and several nominations.
 

A graduate of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Auziņš is active across the Latvian, Scandinavian and wider European jazz, contemporary and improvised music scenes. He leads and co-leads numerous projects and has collaborated with musicians including Uri Caine, Jim Black, Carsten Dahl, Michael Moore and Achim Kaufmann, among others.