Introducing MIJF’s 2026 Take Note Jazz Leader
Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) is delighted to announce violinist, composer and improviser Xani Kolac as their 2026 Take Note program leader.
Xani Kolac is one of Melbourne’s most distinctive musicians, redefining the possibilities of the electric violin within contemporary and improvised music. Hailed by The Age as “an expert at melding creative artistry with technology to build captivating sound worlds,” Xani has spent more than a decade pushing the boundaries of her instrument, drawing influence from artists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Stuff Smith, CAN, Camille and Björk, alongside her deep roots in jazz and improvisation.
In 2025, Xani released two acclaimed albums: Keep Moving, an Australian Music Prize–nominated studio album inspired by Krautrock, jazz and rock; and Live, an improvised recording captured at The Jazzlab. That same year, she was celebrated for her original work An Inaccurate History of Electronic Dance Music, earning a five-star review for its 2025 Adelaide Fringe Festival presentation. After a busy and successful 2025, 2026 marks an exciting chapter of artistic and professional development for Xani.
“I am over the moon to be chosen as this year’s Take Note Leader,” says Xani. “It is an honour and a precious gift; especially after being inspired by, and in awe of, the projects and music created by each and every Take Note Leader who has come before me. I am looking forward to diving into themes of character, identity and names; having just recently obtained my Polish citizenship by descent. I have spent the last couple of years exploring the sounds of Eastern parts of Europe and bringing these influences into my way of approaching amplified violin and languages of improvised music. The Take Note program is an incredible opportunity for me to explore, test and experiment with these discoveries to create an ambitious new work that I hope to love and share multiple times. It is rare to have so much guidance, support, and encouragement while also having time to dedicate to making new work. I am excited to challenge myself, push boundaries and dive deeper into my way of being a Polish-Australian improvising violinist.”
Now in its eighth year, the Take Note program addresses the underrepresentation of women and gender-diverse musicians in jazz, fostering leadership and visibility on stages and in high schools across Victoria.
Xani’s extensive career includes standout international performances at Classical:NEXT in Berlin, Tallinn Music Week (Estonia) and SXSW London, as well as an Artist Residency at MONOM Studios in Berlin. At home, she has appeared at major festivals and venues including RISING, Dark Mofo, Brisbane Festival and the Melbourne Recital Centre. Her artistry has earned her numerous accolades, among them the 2022 Music Victoria Award for Best Musician, and she continues to uncover new possibilities for the electric violin, offering music that connects, provokes, and inspires.
“For seven years, Melbourne International Jazz Festival has supported outstanding artists through the Take Note program – and we are proud to announce Xani as our eighth Take Note Jazz Leader,” says CEO and Program Director of Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Hadley Agrez. “The path Xani has carved as an electric violinist makes her quite unlike anyone else in the Australian music landscape. We’re thrilled to have her lead this year’s Take Note program — she will bring something genuinely exciting to students across Victoria through her school workshops, and I can’t wait to see the bold new work she creates for our 2026 festival in October.”
About Take Note
Women and gender-diverse musicians often face barriers to pursuing creative careers and leadership roles in jazz, due to societal expectations, gender biases in instrument selection and a lack of visible role models. Take Note was launched in 2019 to support emerging artists, advocate for diversity and deliver a range of educational activities and workshops.
Each year, the Take Note leader receives a cash bursary and professional development support while premiering a newly commissioned work at MIJF. In 2025, improvising multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer SOLUNE (Selene Messinis) served as the seventh Take Note leader.
As the 2026 Take Note leader, Xani will receive a $7,500 cash bursary to develop a new composition, which will premiere at the 2026 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. She will also embark on a Victorian high school tour, leading improvisation workshops across regional and metropolitan schools to inspire the next generation of Australian jazz musicians.
Find out more about the Take Note program here.
The Take Note initiative is supported by The Harry Kestin Foundation, The Robert Salzer Foundation, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (University of Melbourne), Monash University and ABC Jazz.
Melbourne International Jazz Festival wishes to acknowledge the generous support provided by the late Harry Kestin, who was instrumental in conceiving this program in 2019 and beyond.
