Who We Are
Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory
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.

Our Team
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.
Directors

Mariano Abello

Nirakar Yakthumba
Administration
Visiting Faculty
Present and Former
Visiting Artists
Former Faculty
Former Visiting Faculty
Our facilities
RECORDING STUDIO
Access to an on-site professional recording studio that has worked with prominent artists in the Nepali music industry like: 1974 AD, Rohit John Chettri, Neetesh Jung Kunwar, Deepak Bajracharya, Shiva Pariyar, Ram K. Dhakal, Mazipa, Cadenza, Kutumba, Indira Joshi, Shreya Sotang and many more.

BAND PRACTICE ROOM
Playing music with your teacher or on your own in the bedroom is not the same as performing with a band. Even if you’ve performed as a solo act, it is still important to know the basic dos and don’ts of working as a team.
We have practice rooms that contain all the necessary sound equipment like drum-sets, pianos, amplifiers and mixers for you to experiment with. We also provide courses for you to learn about this through an instructor. If you are taking one of our packages, it is already included in the price!

THREE ACOUSTIC PIANOS
The piano is frequently called the royalty of all instruments. This is because of how the notes are systematically laid out on the piano so that when you are learning music, it is much easier to follow and understand what the music is doing.
Hence, learning the piano is an essential part of learning music, no matter what instrument is your primary. We have 3 acoustic upright pianos that are for our students to use! We also have many digital stage pianos available but these acoustic works of are are on another league.
You have to try it to know the difference!

THEORY ROOM WITH MULTIMEDIA PROJECTOR
It is many an instance, specially here in Nepal that musicians know how to play but don’t really ‘understand’ why and how things are working in music. It is indeed very important to know ‘why’ something sounds good and why something doesn’t.
Apart from our outstanding faculty that are teaching it, our theory classes are equipped with a built in multimedia projector so that the concepts and nuances of the lessons are easily conveyed to the students

JAMEY AEBERSOLD LISTENING LAB
Jamey Aebersold is the leading music educator in the world that has written countless books benefiting millions of people worldwide. He has been kind to donate us this one of a kind suite which includes a computer outfitted with software, rare ebooks and backing tracks that held a student orient themselves with composition, improvisation or general study.

MUSIC LIBRARY
We also posses a large collection of books, cds, and tracks that span many genres and instruments which are available to the students for checkout.

MOKSH AUDITORIUM CONCERTS
One of the great things about studying at KJC is that we get to see international artists performing every month. Many of these events are even free to the public.
The students also get to perform on a regular basis because we are partnered with Moksh which is right across our building. We teach Live sound engineering there as well with an active auditorium! It possesses the latest in sound equipment and the cool air-conditioning certainly adds to the charm!

THURSDAY JAM SESSIONS
Every Thursday we have a jam session that is initiated by one of the faculty or student bands and then is followed by a free-for-all jam session.
Meet musicians from all around town and get the opportunity to play with them at Moksh, Jhamsikhel. Every Thursday at 7pm

A/V ROOM FOR SKYPE WITH HIGH SPEED INTERNET
We have the infrastructure of a 50 inch TV and the fastest iMac on the market to teach our software related classes. It also has a high-speed fiber internet connection that lets our students have skype sessions with our international faculty from all over the world!

ACCESS TO UNIQUE INSTRUMENTS
IMMERSION INTO A GLOBAL CULTURE
KJC has an international network of hundreds of professional musicians that travel to us every year. We have more than two dozen artists come teach here on average annually. Come be part of our global family!
