“It is well known that baritone guitarist Buleshkaj possesses a merciless virtuosisty..."   

 - Bart Cornand, Knack

Artan Buleshkaj, born in Istog (Kosovo) in 1993, is a guitarist and composer based in Ghent (Belgium). He is active in a myriad of projects in and outside of the bubbling music scene of the city, in a broad musical spectrum ranging from pop to (freely) improvised music.

Artan studied at the conservatories of Ghent (with Hans van Oost) and Amsterdam (Martijn van Iterson).  

" The fascinating guitar playing of the extraordinarily talented Buleshkaj...."        

 -Dick Hovenga, Written in Music

Artan was nominated in 2016 for the SABAM Young Jazz Talent Award and was a finalist of the B-Jazz International Jazz Contest (ed. 2015) with his jazz trio Ruis. He was also featured in The Future is Now, a concert series by the acclaimed Brussels Jazz Orchestra, featuring young solists.  

Besides regular concerts in Belgium (in venues ranging from small jazz clubs to festivals),  Artan also regularly plays/tours abroad. His music has already brought him to Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany and France.

"The guitarist, Artan Buleshkaj, transgresses the limitations set by genres such as folk, jazz, electronic music, ...." 

-Jean-Claude Vantroyen, Le Soir

In addition to his work and ample discography as a sideman, Artan's current focus is his quartet Anemic Cinema (released self-titled EP in 2021 on El Negocito Records and album Iconoclasts in 2023 on Ramble Records), a volatile unit combining the hard-hitting intensity of metal riffage with the unpredictability of (free) improvisation. Other releases as (co-)leader include BRAIN//CHILD (s/t, Honolulu Records, 2017) and a duo album with guitarist Thomas Decock (Plain Songs, released in september of 2024).

Since march of 2021, Artan is represented by Inside Jazz Management for all of his projects as leader. 

Click here for a long form/more detailed version of this biography (in English).

Klik hier voor een gedetailleerdere versie van deze biografie (Nederlands).