Israeli trumpeter who currently lives and works in America, Itamar Boročov, one of the most authentic trumpeters on the contemporary jazz scene. He grew up in a musical family, where the sounds of Sephardic, Middle Eastern and classical music were constantly intertwined. His father, a musician and singer, was a key figure in his early musical development. As a boy, Borochov discovered the trumpet, fascinated by its sound and virtuosity Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Diza GillespieListening to their music, he fell in love with jazz and began to explore its rich history.
He received his formal musical education in Israel, but soon realized that he wanted to develop further, so the logical consequence was to move to the USA, where he studied at the prestigious New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. Thanks to this decision, Itamar had the opportunity to collaborate and learn from some of the most famous jazz musicians of today. His musical expression has become a blend of different influences, and in addition to classic American jazz, his music contains overtones of Middle Eastern melodies, Arabic, Sephardic music and African-American rhythms. The audience in Podgorica had the opportunity to hear all this the day before yesterday, as Boročov performed in the large hall of the KIC “Budo Tomović”, opening the 18th edition of the “Month of Jazz Appreciation in Montenegro - JAM 2025” festival. After Podgorica, the audience in Cetinje also had the opportunity to enjoy the sounds of his trumpet, and tonight he will perform in Bar.
"When I started playing music, I didn't know much about jazz. I came to it through the trumpet. So, first I started playing the trumpet, and later through playing the trumpet I came to jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Clifford Brown and others. It was thanks to them that I fell in love with jazz as a genre," Boročov recalled his beginnings in an interview with "Vijesti".
Israel has an extremely diverse jazz scene, which in recent decades has become one of the most dynamic outside the U.S. Although jazz is not part of Israel's traditional musical heritage, its popularity has grown thanks to educational institutions, music festivals, and artists who have brought the genre's global spirit to the country.
"In Israel, we have been fortunate for many years to have a very large number of excellent jazz musicians. Some of these musicians have immigrated to Israel, including Arnie Lawrence, "I learned from him myself, and there are also those who went from Israel to New York, played there, and then returned to our country. So a fairly developed jazz culture and, let's say, a society of young jazz musicians was created in Israel, and that's how it is today," Borochov said.
Although the Israeli jazz scene is full of artists who combine Middle Eastern influences with American jazz, Borochov stands out for the way he uses the trumpet to convey the story of his musical heritage and identity, bridging two completely different musical worlds.
"The fusion of jazz and traditional music is largely what I focus on, not only as a musician, but also as a composer. Of course, I am not the first to do this. I am glad that it is. I am glad that it is increasingly something that musicians younger than me are also doing. I believe that a large part of music, and therefore jazz, is that through the music you perform and create, you find your own voice, or your own identity. That is very important. It is wonderful to be part of this phenomenon that is more and more present in our country," Boročov points out.
Jazz is the music of the moment and emotion, because no composition ever sounds the same. With each performance, thanks to the improvisations for which this genre is known, the compositions are constantly shaped and adapted through them. Unlike other musical genres, jazz allows the artist to relive and convey his inner emotion at each concert, creating a unique experience for the audience. Each performance is a reflection of the current mood, which keeps jazz authentic and alive, constantly evolving through the personal expression of the performer.
"I would agree that jazz is a mood music, but we cannot generalize when it comes to all music. But when compared to European or classical music, which is in the service of expressing the emotion that the composer has, in jazz the emphasis is on expressing what the person performing the music feels at the moment of performance," explains Boročov.
During his career, Itamar has performed at some of the most prestigious jazz festivals around the world, including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival. His music has found its way to a diverse audience from intimate jazz clubs to large concert halls. Jazz was once considered an elitist musical direction reserved for small spaces and a narrow circle of connoisseurs, and over time it has grown into a global phenomenon with its own festivals and concerts in the most prestigious halls. Thanks to artists like Boročov, who constantly explore new musical horizons and bring freshness to this genre, jazz continues to evolve and conquer new audiences, which the interviewee of “Vijesti” is very proud of.
"The development of jazz has a much larger number of phases. The first phase was that jazz was a music that emerged from folklore in the southern United States, in places like Louisiana. Then its move north meant moving to larger venues, coming to dance halls. After the war, it largely gave way to genres like rock and roll, so it only then entered clubs and became music for a smaller audience. Then came the emergence of large music and jazz festivals, but also the move of jazz to large concert halls, where we got the wrong idea that jazz is elite music, which it is not. It remains connected to the people and folklore, and its elitism could only be found in some kind of excellence in performance. What is important today is that we expose as many young people as possible to this type of music. This is instrumental music that is not commercial, it is a departure from what we are exposed to every day," believes Boročov, who, while studying jazz, fell even more in love with this genre.
"I started listening to jazz and fell in love with it while I was in Israel listening to records. Going to New York was a chance to become a part of that culture myself. I lived in New York for 17 years and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of the jazz culture in that city. During that period, my musical journey went in two directions - I became a part of the New York music scene, but in the process I also made original music through which I wove my musical roots into that creativity and in that way created a sound by which I am recognizable," concludes Boročov.
The education system must develop
The education of younger generations is essential for the preservation and advancement of jazz music. Many jazz greats throughout history have not only performed, but also actively taught younger generations, passing on to them not only technique, but also the philosophy of jazz - freedom of expression, the importance of making music together, and artistic courage. Itamar Boročov is now ready to pass on his acquired knowledge and experience to younger generations through workshops.
"This is something that interests me more and more every day in the form of master classes. Of course, due to the tours, this educational work is not possible in regular schools, but it is possible on guest tours. However, I don't hold workshops only when I travel, but I also have a lot of these master classes in Israel and I believe that this educational system needs to be developed as much as possible," says Boročov.
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