Alexandra Ivanova Trio (AT) ft. Sunny Kim

Sensitivity and captivating rhythms characterize the sound of the Berlin-based Alexandra Ivanova Trio, led by Austrian pianist and composer Alexandra Ivanova, whose Bulgarian roots inform a richly cross-cultural approach. Drawing on a wide range of influences, Alexandra brings what All About Jazz describes as an “unorthodox approach to her compositions.”

For this exclusive Melbourne concert, the trio—featuring Judith Ferstl (AT) on double bass and Axel Filip (AR/DE) on drums—will be joined by vocalist and improviser Sunny Kim, one of the city’s most distinctive musical voices. Sunny and Alexandra first met at the Banff Centre’s intercultural music residency in Canada, where they formed a powerful connection through their shared third-culture identities and mutual passion for storytelling, ancestry research, and deep listening.

Together, they navigate a rich musical terrain that moves fluidly between jazz, Eastern classical traditions such as maqam, Balkan odd meters, and Afro-Cuban clave, all interwoven with live electronic exploration.

Alexandra’s compositions emerge from a deeply personal journey into themes of ancestry and belonging. Her arrangements of Arabic and Azeri standards, alongside Bulgarian and Icelandic folklore, invite listeners to engage with the universal through shifting cultural perspectives—from East to West, and the spaces in between.

Sunny’s luminous vocality, inventive improvisation, and extensive experience in cross-cultural collaboration blend seamlessly with the trio’s transcultural sound, promising a compelling, one-night-only performance.

“In every sense of the word, a musician out of the ordinary” — Jazz thing

Alexandra Ivanova
Alexandra Ivanova is a Berlin-based pianist and composer, born in Austria with Bulgarian roots, who has also lived in France, the Middle East, and the Gulf. Her musical interests centre on polyrhythms, Bulgarian traditions, and maqam-based music in conversation with jazz harmony and Afro-Cuban claves. She is a recipient of jazz scholarships from Musikfonds and the Berlin Senate, and has performed at major international festivals including Havana Jazz Plaza Festival, Reykjavik Jazz Festival, and Porgy and Bess Vienna.

Judith Ferstl
Judith Ferstl is a Vienna-based double bassist and composer whose musical range spans jazz, improvisation, pop, and folk. Her practice moves fluidly between intricate rhythms and intimate soundscapes, driven by a curiosity for unconventional sounds and diverse forms of expression. She is a recipient of the Austrian Federal Chancellery’s Start-Grant, the SKE annual scholarship, and the Bawag P.S.K. Next Generation Jazz Award.

Axel Filip (they/them)
Axel Filip is an Argentine drummer, composer, bandleader, and improviser based in Berlin. They hold a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Music from the Conservatorio Superior de Música and completed the European Jazz Master across institutions in Trondheim, Copenhagen, and Berlin. Their work sits at the intersection of contemporary jazz, electroacoustic music, and experimental sound, often exploring themes of identity, migration, and belonging.

Sunny Kim
Sunny Kim is a Korea-born vocalist, improviser, composer, and educator based in Melbourne, Australia. After studying jazz at the New England Conservatory with Bob Moses, Jerry Bergonzi, Dominique Eade, and others, she moved to New York in 2005 and built an international career performing and recording across the USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Korea, Taiwan, Mongolia, and Australia.

She has collaborated with artists including Dave Douglas, Chris Speed, and Australian Indigenous song men, exploring the meeting points between culture, gender, and artistic disciplines.