Luiza Zan is, without a doubt, one of the most captivating and versatile voices in contemporary Romanian jazz. Known among artists as the “rebel jazz singer”, she carries this title with pride, as it reflects her refusal to be confined to a single musical genre or to the rigid expectations of the industry. She has often spoken openly about the vulnerability of independent artists, especially after the pandemic, refusing to “sell” her music as a fast-consumption commercial product.
Although Luiza is best known as a jazz performer, what truly fascinates is the complex human being behind the voice: a composer, a lyricist, an artist capable of transforming spontaneity into an authentic form of expression. You feel that Luiza Zan is special from the very moment she steps onto the stage, because she doesn’t just sing, she performs. Each piece carries a story, and she is the kind of artist who knows how to tell it and draw you in completely.
Although I had admired her for a long time, I saw her live for the first time at the “In My Village” concert, alongside Andrei Petrache, the Brașov Philharmonic Orchestra, and their guests. The performance brought to the stage a spectacular fusion of jazz and symphonic music; it was an experience that gave me goosebumps, made me smile, then brought me to tears. It carried me through deep emotions, and I left feeling completely enchanted.
I was honored to have her as a guest at an intimate private event I curated, titled “Jazz in the Living”. There, she performed for a small group of just 50 people, and that deeply personal experience, along with her voice from that evening, still resonates in the memories of everyone present.
Her mini-concerts, where she performs on the spot, without prior rehearsals and without ever repeating the same format, carry something both courageous and rare. Her independent artistic personality and the integrity with which she follows her own path, even when it is not the most commercial one, are defining. The lyrics of her songs reveal a sensitive soul that sees life with depth. From the very first listen, it becomes clear that she is not only an artist, but also a woman who inspires.
I am grateful that she accepted to answer a few questions for Blisspire. This interview begins, naturally, with her childhood, because that is where everything begins, and where, more often than not, we find the answers to life’s biggest questions.
What was your childhood like? What was little Luiza like? What was your relationship with music? When did you know what you wanted to become?
I was an introverted child who was always reading. I learned to read at the age of 4, and I have always loved words. My mother used to say that I sang from a very young age, that I had a deep voice even as a child, and they would always have me sing at school events because I had vibrato.
I didn’t know I would become a singer, I think that around the age of 10 I wanted to be a doctor, a surgeon. I’m still passionate about surgery, but nowadays I mostly read medical articles, especially on topics related to neuroscience.
What was the most important decision you made in your teenage years or early adulthood that influenced your path?
I think the most important decision was choosing the university, when I had three conservatories on the table. I chose Iași, and I am proud of that choice.
Did you have a mentor or someone who truly inspired and supported you?
I had several mentors, but my first mentor was my mother. She guided me towards music, insisted that I pursue it, and thanks to her I am a musician and not a linguist, as I once planned. Then, of course, my teachers, from my primary school teacher Mândița Doroș, to my voice teacher Maria-Jana Stoia, to my jazz professor Rick Condit.
What does your creative process look like? How are your songs born?
There is no recipe for creativity. Every composer follows their impulses in the moment or relies on studied composition methods. Some pieces are created following a structure, and the muse makes her presence felt along the way, while other times inspiration strikes suddenly, and I need to make space for creation so the ideas don’t slip away.
At other times, I set a structure and follow its silver thread while writing.
It depends.
You have been an associate professor at the University of Theatre Arts in Târgu Mureș since 2023. As a music teacher, what is your approach?
As a music teacher, I love working with very expressive voices, with unique timbres, because people usually focus on technique and forget the fundamental element, vocal timbre. For me, as a pedagogue, it is important to value personal, unique voices and ensure that learned technique does not undermine the individuality of the timbre.
I find your artistic backbone and your loyalty to your own values deeply fascinating. How does that choice feel in a world where most people are chasing fame and material rewards?
There have been moments, yes. I don’t perform a very popular musical genre, I don’t have an army of followers, and I’m not an expert in social media content. But I love what I do, and I have an almost reckless desire to live freely, singing “heavy” music for a niche audience, regardless of trends. I believe that people shape time, not the other way around.
Who is Luiza Zan beyond music? What brings you joy? What irritates you?
I enjoy reading, especially biographies and autobiographies. I prefer reading in the original language whenever possible. I like spending time with my family, and I also enjoy spending quality time alone. I believe we truly recharge only when we disconnect completely from those who know us, and I try to do that as often as I can.
I am irritated by people who give unsolicited and unnecessary advice.
A little imagination exercise: the children are grown, nobody depends on you anymore, you have no urgent responsibilities, and money is not an issue. What would an ideal day look like for you?
Every day is an ideal day. Children don’t complicate my life; they complete it. I love starting my day with the alarm clock and having something planned for every hour. I am obsessed with the notion of time. When the girls head off to college, I’ll start scheduling my husband’s day instead.
And, because I sense a question about other horizons, I love to travel, but I hate vacations. I prefer trips involving concerts and tours.
Do you think more about the future or live more in the present?
Of course I think about the future, but I don’t make five-year plans. I prefer to plan year by year, in broad lines.
What are your plans for the near future?
I am working on several interesting musical projects, I have won an important award at the UCIMR Gala, I am also nominated by Radio România Cultural in the music category at their annual gala, and this year I will have a long-awaited tour in Japan. It looks like an exciting year ahead.
What do you think music can truly do for people?
I can only speak on my behalf and on behalf of the tens of thousands of people I have interacted with at concerts so far. Music is the language of the soul.
Therefore, music can truly help us express our being where words cannot. And yes, anyone can sing.
If you can speak, you have a voice, and then you should sing it.
Foto credit: Nicolae Ciorogan
Event: Jazz in the Living by Blisspire
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