ABOUT US

A music school that beats at the very heart of Kathmandu’s ever-growing music industry. Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory aims to train the next generation of artists, musicians, producers, sound-engineers, composers and songwriters to feed the increasing demand for music within Nepal’s flourishing music scene. There has never been a better time to be a musician in Nepal and there has never been a school quite like KJC to help you achieve your goals.

Belonging to the vibrant Gyan Mandala Community and working closely with Katjazz studios and Moksh, students will be part of an environment that will constantly push them to be creative, skilled, well informed and experienced artists.

In studying at KJC, you will be taught and supported by a passionate team of creative and practicing professionals. KJC serves a diverse and talented pool of students, and has a strong support network that has been developing for more than 12 years.

The Passion Behind KJC

NIRAKAR YAKTHUMBA

Founder Director | Chairman

A versatile musician and entrepreneur, Nirakar Yakthumba is well known as the bass player of 1974 AD, Nepal’s First International Rock Band. He co-founded KJC in 2007 and since then has been heavily involved in the country’s cultural scene.

As an artist he has toured the Americas, Europe and Asia, and won many awards such as Hits FM and Kantipur FM awards. He is part of different formations, considering himself a complete musician able to play many genres. As a entrepreneur, he is an influential figure and partner at Moksh, Pranamaya Yoga and the Gyanodaya Education Foundation

ABHISEK BHADRA

Academic Director | Faculty

Hailing from Kathmandu, Abhisek Bhadra initiated his musical journey in the local jazz and rock scene. He achieved notable recognition by securing victories in both the Jazzmandu Jazz for the Next Generation competition and the Rockheads competition. Subsequently, he pursued a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Composition/Arranging at Codarts, Rotterdam Conservatorium, being awarded the International Talent Grant.

Abhisek's diverse musicality has graced venues like Paradiso Amsterdam and Amsterdam Concertgebouw and found its way into the limelight on national TV/Radio shows. His compositions and arrangements have been featured by renowned ensembles, including the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.

Beyond performing, Abhisek is passionate about music education. He co-founded Nepal's only Diploma program in Western contemporary music at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, where he serves as the Academic Director, mentoring the next generation of music leaders.

In the Kathmandu music scene, Abhisek actively collaborates with a range of prominent artists and bands, including Jooni, Jindabaad, Atomic Bush, Cadenza Collective, Le Piro, Jhuma Limbu, 1974 AD, Amazumi, and Rohit John Chettri, among others.

María Fajardo

Academic Coordinator | Faculty

María Fajardo is a Spanish Vocalist, Educator, Composer, and arranger based in Kathmandu Nepal. She graduated from Berklee College of Music, where she was a scholarship student.

Growing up in different countries of Central America and Spain Maria has always found a Musical Universe to navigate. Her academic journey took her to Music Academy International (Nancy, France) in 2010 and to Newpark Music Centre shortly after (Now DCU).

Maria has now performed in concerts and workshops in El Salvador, Costa Rica, France, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Puerto Rico, India and Nepal just to name a few. As she makes her home in Kathmandu as the Academic Coordinator and Head of the Voice Department at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory she has become a very active member of the music scene leading and participating in various musical projects including the contemporary jazz groups Jooni and Ser O Jooni, as well as being one of the main organizers of the KatJazz Festival.

She has collaborated with Abhisek Bhadra, Moa Edmunds, Tomas Carrasco, Jhuma Limbu, Javier Galiana, Erik Leuthauser, Juliana Rodrigues just to name a few. In recent years, she has participated in the biggest events and festivals in Nepal. She is currently studiying the first masters in interpretation of Folkloric music of the Iberian peninsulas.

Maria’s musical Universe is made up of Jazz and the sounds of her childhood, her origins, and her context. She aims to continue to make music a vehicle for social change and education, by performing, teaching, learning, and opening doors, windows, and minds to a creative and nourishing environment.

Mariano E. Abello

Co-Founder

Mariano E. Abello, saxophone, flute, clarinet and oboe, has being playing concerts, festivals, and doing master classes and workshops around the world on flamenco, jazz, classical, and Hindustani music. Due to his multicultural background, Mariano is an expert in mixing different cultures as shown in his recording with UrJazz “Thais Por Tangos.”

After graduated summa cum laude in Jazz Studies he did a Masters in Arts in Woodwind Performance and Pedagogy at Florida Atlantic University, where he also taught in the jazz program and revived its jazz festival.

In 2007 he opened the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, in Nepal (www.katjazz.com.np). In 2008 he funded the non-profit organization Nepal Music Educators’ Society (www.nmes.org.np) to coordinate music educators in Nepal. In 2013 he became a board member of the non-profit organization Jazz Education Abroad (www.jazzeducationabroad.org), based in the USA, and in 2017 opened its affiliation in the European Union. In 2017 became the Executive Director of Jazz Education Abroad and in the same year opened the KJC Foundation. In 2021 created, together with Dr. Gene Aitken, iJazzMusic.com, an online jazz publisher, which has some of the top arrangers of today’s scene worldwide.

KJC TEAM

Uniting People with Music since 2007

KJC is a unique hub for intercultural exchange where different backgrounds meet to learn from each other. Since 2007 KJC is bringing highly qualified foreign music teachers, performers and personnel who train our Nepali faculty and students. KJC is known as the most competent music school in Nepal and one of the tops in South Asia.