Field of Expertise

First candidate to defend her PhD thesis and thus obtained the academic and scientific title of Doctor of Literary Science–Comparative Literature.

Contact Information:

Gradačačka 90 71000 Sarajevo, BiH
Phone: +387 61 265 642 | Email: lejla.alimanovic@gmail.com

Professional Career

Lejla Alimanović created, edited, and hosted a jazz radio show “Round Midnight”, on Radio 202 and eFM Students Radio (2009, 2010, 2011). She founded and organized the festival “(R)Evolution – The Scream of the Culture” for emerging artists (2010). At the Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM), Alimanović represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the category of literature. At the BJCEM, she also presented a short, narrative film entitled “Is This Not Symbiosis?” at the MACRO – Museum of Contemporary Arts of Rome.

She publishes papers, reviews, and essays in art journals, magazines, and web sites, such as: NOVI IZRAZ – Magazine for literary and art criticism (P.E.N. Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina), Journal for Art, Science, and Social Issues ODJEK, SLOVO Sarajevo Faculty of Philosophy Student Journal, www.jazz.hr, Oslobođenje. Within the Gallery of Contemporary Art Charlama, she realized a solo photography exhibition and performance, “My Funny Valentine” (2011). At the International Festival Sarajevo Winter, Alimanović was selector of the music (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and literary (2015, 2016) programs.

As part of the literary program of the Sarajevo Winter Festival, within which Alimanović engaged as the program selector, program editor, and program moderator, she collaborated with the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo. 2 As a guest vocalist with the Sinan Alimanović International Band, she performs around the world: Europe, the United States of America, and the People’s Republic of China. Alimanović is a reviewer and one of the artistic producers of the historical album release “The First Jazz Concert of the Sarajevo Music Academy Students,” published by the Sarajevo Music Academy. With the Sarajevo Music Academy, Lejla Alimanović collaborated as an organizer and moderator of jazz workshops and master classes led by American artists and educators such as Barbara Hill More (Meadows School of Arts, SMU) and Harvie S (Manhattan School of Music).

As a doctor of science in the field of relations between literature and jazz, she writes original compositions, and as a jazz vocalist and author, she collaborates with international and regional musicians, some of whom are included in the family tree of jazz music. She collaborated with Sinan Alimanović, Harvie S, Victor Lewis, Jed Levy, Jim Mullen, Vladimir Kostadinović, Ratko Divjak, Saša Borovec, Vancho Manoilovich, and many others. The album “Lejla” by Sinan Alimanović International Band was recorded in June, 2018 in New York. The sound engineer who recorded the album is a two-time Grammy Award winner, Chris Sulit, while the sound engineer who did the mix and mastering of the album is also a Grammy Award winner, David Kowalski. Musicians who participated in the recording of the album are: Sinan Alimanović – piano, bandleader (B&H), Harvie S – double bass, producer (USA), Victor Lewis – drums (USA), Lejla Alimanović – vocals (B&H), Jed Levy – tenor saxophone (USA), Adam Klemm – soprano saxophone (SLO).

In September 2020, the album “Lejla” was released by the label Miles High Records (New York), owned by the educator at The Julliard School, Mark Sherman. In April 2021, Lejla Alimanović received the award “Dražen Ričl”, for the best young author for her contribution to the album Sinan Alimanović International Band – “Lejla” (2020) by the Association of Composers – Musical Creators AMUS. Within the Blue Quote platform that Lejla Alimanović created, she produced the participation and the representation of Sinan Alimanović and Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the jubilee, the 10th International Jazz Day.

Sinan Alimanović was the only representative from B&H, and was selected for the TOP position in the Global Submissions Gallery (jazzday.com). International Jazz Day is organized by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. At the 32nd International Sarajevo Book Fair (2021), she was the president of the jury. Lejla Alimanović is a member of the Association of Composers–Musical Creators AMUS. Lejla Alimanović is a corresponding member of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS). She is currently working on publishing a new book, entitled “The New Wholeness: Reading Music, Listening to Literature.”