Kaya Meller
was born in Poland. She was raised in a musical family, but they played for their own pleasure only. Kaya started her musical education with piano when she was 6 year old. She always dreamt about the trumpet but she could not start playing it until she was 11.
She finished her primary education and passed the entrance exam to F. Chopin Music High School in Warsaw, where she started playing classical trumpet.
While she was in school, Kaya became fascinated by jazz. She started attending jazz workshops and took some private lessons. After she graduated, she started her Bachelor Studies under the direction of Polish trumpeter Robert Majewski. When she received her Bachelor Degree, Kaya was accepted into the Academy of Music in Gdansk, where she was able to study abroad at the Program Erasmus +, with the oldest Jazz Department in Europe – Kunstuniversitat in Graz/Austria. She was fortunate enough to study with Jim Rotondi, Michael Abene, Ed Neumeister, Sigi Feigl, Dena DeRose, Ed Partyka, Alex Sipiagin, Randy Brecker and many more.
In 2015, Kaya was selected to participate in the Berklee Clinics as a part of Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. This changed her life. She was chosen out of many students to receive a scholarship that would cover her tuition for the Undergraduate Program at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Kaya moved to Boston in 2016, where she would learn from great jazz musicians such as Sean Jones, Terence Blanchard, George Garzone, Greg Hopkins, Frank Tiberi, Marshall Gilkes, Tia Fuller, Jason Palmer, Ed Tomassi, Dave Santoro and more.
Since being in Boston, she has had a lot of opportunities to grow and play with many groups and projects, including: big bands, small ensembles, musicals, brass quintets, world music, singer shows etc.
She has performed with many renowned musicians and ensembles, including Kurt Elling, Phil Wilson, Ed Neumeister, Michael Gibbs, Randy Brecker, Sheila Jorda, Andreas Gabalier, Greg Hopkins, Gary Burton, Bill Friesell, Ayn Inserto, Fernando Huergo.
She is also leading her own group – Kaya Meller Quartet, based on her original compositions.
In March 2019 Kaya recorded and produced her debut album named "Reflections".
She is a member of international brass band - Groove'n'movE based in Austria.