Born April 23, 1972 in Horlivka (Ukraine). Najponk (Jan Knop), who has been playing piano since the age of nine and is a huge fan of jazz since then, was born April 23, 1972. His trio, later Najponk Q, was founded by him in 1990. In 1995, he won the first prize in the international jazz piano competition in Ostrava and was invited to participate in the Czech Radio Tribute To Thelonious Monk. Janusz Muniak and Dave Liebman were among the many players with whom he has collaborated and performed. Najponk, whether solo or with a trio, performs at jazz festivals in Novosibirsk and zapadoanglicky Cheltenham. He is a graduate of the prestigious A Trane Jazz Club Berlin. The Czech Jazz Society surveyed his trio and selected them for the first time in 1998. His solo album, “Just About Love”, was awarded the Angel Award 2001 in Jazz.
