Bogey Vujkov Biography
Bogey was born into a musical family in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. At the age of five he began his studies with his father, a noted musician and choral conductor; his mother was a musician as well. At the age of seven, he started giving solo performances. In 1955, concerned about the political situation in Yugoslavia, the family fled to Vienna, Austria, while on a concert tour. Shortly after, they emigrated to the U.S., settling in Detroit.
In 1959, Bogey and his family moved to Phoenix, where Bogey entered high school. His passion for the piano grew throughout high school. He studied and performed as much and wherever he could and won two scholarships which enabled him to study with famed pianist Rudolf Firkusny, a Julliard instructor, and with Bevridge Webster, also of Julliard. In 1962 he won the Phoenix Symphony First Young Performer's Solo Competition and went on to make nine solo performances with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. Two years at Arizona State University were financed entirely by piano and music scholarship performance grants.
When the family moved to Milwaukee in 1964, Bogey enrolled as a scholarship student at the University of Wisconsin. There he entered and won the Milwaukee Symphony Guild Piano Scholarship and the Baldwin Piano Company Scholarship. In 1966, he entered the Private Studies program at the renowned Julliard School of Music.
In 1967, Bogey joined the Army and was immediately assigned to the 4th Army Band. It was here that his classical music training gave way to a new interest in jazz, and his interest in the piano was supplemented by a new interest in the electric bass. Upon his release from the military, he moved to Texas to study in the jazz curriculum program at North Texas State University. During the 1970s, Bogey played gigs throughout the Dallas/Houston area, and became sought after as a studio musician for commercial recordings and record demos. In 1977, Bogey became solo piano artist and house band director for Sun Line Cruises, which triggered his desire to travel. His travels landed him the job of music director for the Jerusalem Hilton and Marriott Hotels in 1979. While in Israel, Bogey performed weekly for Israel National Television, had several guest performances on Israel Radio, was featured on the CBS Best of Israeli Rock album, and played at many Israeli jazz spots. At the same time, Bogey was also actively composing works that would later become his first album.
When Bogey arrived in Seattle in the 1980s, he became a member of the Paramount Theatre's big band orchestra. Through the years, he has performed at local establishments, concert halls, and festivals, including the old and new Jazz Alley, the Seattle Art Museum, the Bellevue Jazz Festival, and in the KPLU-sponsored Art of Jazz Series.
Today, Bogey teaches the "power players" who work in Seattle's downtown core. His studios are in the Sherman Clay store, where he is the Steinway Jazz Artist in Residence. Among his students are CEOs of major corporations, software and banking executives, real estate developers, high-powered attorneys, and pilots of major airlines. While he continues performing around the Greater Seattle area, he also continues working as a composer. And he has released his debut CD, Comin' Up for Air with 13 tracks, 11 of which he wrote. The CD was produced by Tom Pfaeffle and Vujkov. Pfaeffle was also the recording and mixing engineer, and the recording took place at The Tank Studio in Black Diamond. Executive producer was Steve Smith.