{{short description|American jazz vocalist and composer (born 1987)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Thana Alexa | image = ThanaAlexa.jpg | landscape = yes | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|3|19}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | genre = Jazz, jazz fusion, contemporary soul, Ethno jazz | occupation = Musician, composer, arranger, producer | instrument = Voice, violin | label = | website = {{URL|www.thanalexa.com}} }}
'''Thana Alexa Pavelić''' (born March 19, 1987) is a jazz vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her 2020 recording ''Ona''.
== Early life and education == Alexa's interest in music began at age three when she disappeared from a birthday party and was discovered in the basement playing melodies to simple songs on a toy piano.<ref name="early life" /> She soon expressed a preference for the violin, and began taking lessons.<ref name="early life" /> Although she began to sing during this period, she believed the violin to be her primary instrument and considered pursuing it vocationally.<ref name="early life">{{cite web|title=Thana Alexa: Singer and Instrument |first=R.J. |last=Deluke |website=All About Jazz|date=April 20, 2015 |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/thana-alexa-singer-and-instrument-thana-alexa-by-rj-deluke.php?pg=3|accessdate=2017-03-27}}</ref>
After elementary school, Alexa's family moved back to Croatia.<ref name="early life" /> She began singing songs in English as a way of maintaining her connection to her mother tongue and her childhood in the United States.<ref name="early life" /> In Zagreb, Alexa took voice lessons at the Rock Academy.<ref name="downbeat">{{cite web|title=Thana Alexa: Strategic Planner |first=Thomas |last=Staudter |website=Downbeat Magazine|url=https://downbeat.com/digitaledition/2015/spcseg/_art/SMA1506.pdf |accessdate=2018-03-27 }}</ref> Musician and club owner Boško Petrović mentored her – she began attending regional jazz workshops and performing professionally, including at Croatian festivals.<ref name="early life" />
Alexa studied psychology at Northeastern University before transferring to the New School in New York City; she completed her psychology degree and received a fine arts degree in jazz performance.<ref name="downbeat" /> She cites drummer Bernard Purdie as a mentor during this time.<ref name="early life" />
== Career == Her first album as a leader, ''Ode to Heroes'', was released by Jazz Village.<ref name="early life" /><ref name="downbeat" /> She appears on guitarist Gene Ess's album ''Absurdist Theatre''.<ref name="absurdist">{{cite web|title=Gene Ess: Absurdist Theatre |first=Sylvannia |last= Garutch |date=2016-09-16|website=Elmore Magazine |url=https://www.elmoremagazine.com/2016/09/reviews/albums/gene-ess|accessdate=2018-03-27}}</ref> Alexa has also collaborated with vibraphonist Christos Rafalides.<ref name="early life" /> Alexa received a Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy nomination for her 2020 album ''Ona'';<ref>{{cite web|title=Thana Alexa |website=Grammy |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/thana-alexa/287105 |accessdate=May 13, 2025}}</ref> Regina Carter was also nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo from the album.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |title=Thana Alexa Prepares Tour Of Two-Time GRAMMY-Nominated Album ONA |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Thana-Alexa-Prepares-Tour-Of-Two-Time-GRAMMY-Nominated-Album-ONA-20220104 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref>
During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Alexa, vocalist Sirintip and saxophonist Owen Broder co-founded what ''Rolling Stone'' called the first "virtual jazz festival" and fundraising initiative of the pandemic, Live from Our Living Rooms, which helped facilitate grants to New York-based musicians.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Shteamer |first=Hank |date=March 27, 2020 |title=Bill Frisell, Chick Corea, Christian McBride Slated for Virtual Jazz Fest |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/live-from-our-living-rooms-jazz-festival-bill-frisell-chick-corea-christian-mcbride-973795/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 18, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Goldsmith |first=Margie |date=June 22, 2020 |title=Master Jazz Musicians to Play Live in a Virtual Jazz Camp This July |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiegoldsmith/2020/06/22/master-jazz-musicians-to-play-live-in-a-virtual-jazz-camp-july-1st-12th/?sh=27ffa6f56a8a |magazine=Forbes |access-date=June 18, 2025}}</ref>
In 2023, Alexa co-founded a jazz festival on the small, car-free island of Lopud off the coast of Dalmatia in Croatia with Tilda Grossel Bogdanović. Alexa serves as the creative director of the Ponta Lopud Jazz Festival, which takes place annually in late August and features artists and music from around the globe.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Geledi |first1=Sarah |last2=Rentner |first2=Simon |title=On a tiny Croatian island, a jazz festival is giving musicians room to breathe |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/04/30/nx-s1-5785259/jazz-night-croatia-ponta-lupud-festival |website=npr.org |access-date=13 May 2026}}</ref>
==Discography==
===As leader=== * ''SONICA'' (InsideOut, 2022) - co-led group with Nicole Zuraitis and Julia Adamy * ''Ona'' (Self Release, 2020) * ''Ode to Heroes'' (Jazz Village, 2015)<ref name="downbeat" /><ref name="heroes">{{cite web|title=No ordinary singer: Thana Alexa illuminates her place in 'Ode to' jazz heroes |last=Banks Weber |first=Carol |website=AXS |url=https://www.axs.com/news/no-ordinary-singer-thana-alexa-illuminates-her-place-in-ode-to-jazz-he-48885|date=2015-04-15|accessdate=2018-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328103054/https://www.axs.com/news/no-ordinary-singer-thana-alexa-illuminates-her-place-in-ode-to-jazz-he-48885 |archive-date=2018-03-28}}</ref>
===As guest=== '''With Antonio Sanchez''' * ''SHIFT: Bad Hombre Volume II'' (Warner, 2022) * ''Lines in the Sand'' (CAM Jazz, 2018)<ref name="lines">{{cite web|url=http://www.camjazz.com/home/8052405143549-lines-in-the-sand-cd.html |website=CAM Jazz | title=Antonio Sanchez and Migration, Lines in the Sand |accessdate=2018-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216032857/http://www.camjazz.com/home/8052405143549-lines-in-the-sand-cd.html |archive-date=2018-12-16}}</ref> * ''The Meridian Suite'' (CAM Jazz, 2015)<ref name="downbeat" /><ref name="meridian nytimes">{{cite web|title=Review: Antonio Sánchez With 2 Albums, 'The Meridian Suite' and 'Three Times Three' |first=Nate |last=Chinen |date=2015-06-08|website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/arts/music/review-antonio-sanchez-with-2-albums-the-meridian-suite-and-three-times-three.html |accessdate=2018-03-27}}</ref> * ''New Life'' (CAM Jazz, 2013)
'''With others''' * Nicole Zuraitis, ''How Love Begins'' (La Reserve, 2024) * Benjamin Koppel, ''The White Buses'' (Cowbell Music, 2023) * Rotem Sivan, ''Far From Shore'' (Sonder House, 2023) * Giraldo Piloto y Klimax, ''Mucho'' (Codex, 2022) * Vladimir Samardzic, ''Catching the Wind'' 2022) * Nicole Zuraitis, ''Wandering Hearts'' (2022) * Purbayan Chatterjee, ''Unbounded (Abaad)'' (Sufiscore, 2021) * Ernesto Cortazar Lara, ''Within These Walls'' (2021) * Michael Olatuja, ''Lagos Pepper Soup'' (Whirlwind Recordings, 2020) * Max Esquivel, ''Tulips'' (22020) * Christos Rafalides, ''New Day for Marimba and Vocals'' (Emarel Music Inc, 2018) * Gene Ess, ''Apotheosis'' (SIMP, 2018) * Nicole Zuraitis, ''Long Meadow Vine (The Wine Song) [feat. Cyrille Aimée & Thana Alexa]'' (2017) * Gene Ess, ''Absurdist Theatre'' (SIMP, 2016)<ref name="absurdist" /> * Gene Ess, ''Eternal Monolith'' (SIMP, 2015) * Gene Ess, ''Fractal Attraction'' (SIMP, 2013)<ref name="fractal">{{cite web|title= Gene Ess Fractal Attraction |website=Allmusic |url= https://www.allmusic.com/album/fractal-attraction-mw0002549238| doi =| accessdate =2018-03-27}}</ref> * Matija Dedic, ''Friends'' (Dallas, 2010)
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category}}
*{{Official website| http://thanalexa.com/}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexa, Thana}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:American women jazz singers Category:American jazz singers Category:American people of Croatian descent Category:Croatian jazz musicians Category:American women jazz musicians Category:21st-century Croatian women singers Category:21st-century American women singers Category:21st-century American singers