Mon & Tue
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APR 24 & 25 7:30 pm
Pavilion
Bria Skonberg Duo Just Friends Jazz Series
Sponsored by
We are pleased to partner with the Lied Center of Kansas to present the Just Friends Jazz Series.
APR 24 & 25 | Bria Skonberg Duo
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Set will be announced from the stage There will be no intermission. Bria Skonberg
Trumpet, Vocals, Composer Noted as a Millennial “Shaking up the jazz world,” according to Vanity Fair, Skonberg is a self-described “small town girl” from Chilliwack, British Columbia. She left for Vancouver straight out of high school and earned a degree in Jazz Trumpet Performance from Capilano University. But even as she absorbed the deep knowledge and disciplined work habits needed for a jazz career, she was also hustling hard to book her two bands. While in university she juggled working every weekend, traveling to festivals and shows, plus cramming in schoolwork - all while on the road. When not traveling for her own gigs, she was building up her stage-show chops with Dal Richards, Vancouver’s King of Swing. Playing at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver capped off this exciting period, with Bria featured at the Paralympics opening ceremony. In 2012, Bria released So Is The Day (Random Act Records); her first album on a US-based label. That collection showcased a developing flair for original songs with just the right amount of standards mixed in, and also featured a duet with the legendary John Pizzarelli, So Is The Day received rave reviews from critics, drawing comparisons to Norah Jones in The New York Daily News. In 2015, a year after her second album, Into Your Own, was released, Skonberg received the Jazz At Lincoln Center Swing! Award. To date, Bria has performed at some 100 festivals worldwide. She is the co-founder of the New York Hot Jazz Camp and New York Hot Jazz Festival. Further accolades include Best Vocal and Best Trumpet awards from Hot House Jazz Magazine (2014-15), Outstanding Jazz Artist at the New York Bistro Awards (2014), a DownBeat Rising Star (2013-15), and a nominee for Jazz Journalists’ Association Up and Coming Artist (2013).
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APR 24 & 25 | Bria Skonberg Duo
Mathis Picard Piano
Mathis Picard, a young and upcoming jazz pianist is currently living in New York City. Born in France, he began playing the piano at the age of 4. His musical education switched from classical to jazz early on in his life, starting at the Centre Musical de Didier Lockwood at age 8. After moving to the United Kingdom in 2005, he was a student of Gerri Rossi & Tommy Smith. He was also a student of Dennis Montgomerry III in Berklee’s summer program in Italy, where he also received two consecutive outstanding musicianship awards in 2007 and 2008. At ages 10 and 12 Picard was the youngest ever finalist at the Montreux Jazz Piano competition and was awarded a special prize on both occasions. Convinced at age 11 that he wanted to be a musician, Picard joined Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, UK. It was there that music became a lifetime passion. During his time in the UK, Picard published his first composition in the Real Book North West, and was featured as a guest artist on the Christmas edition of Jazzwise Magazine UK’s CD release in 2008. Later that year, Picard became sponsored by the Little Dreams Foundation, founded by Phil Collins. Picard performed as a finalist in the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition as well as in the Yamaha Jazz Experience in 2010. In 2011, Picard was commissioned to write a piece and perform with the Northern Chamber Orchestra (NCO) and his jazz trio in 2012. Picard has been attending The Juilliard School since 2012, and has performed alongside Jason Moran, Sonny Emory, Patty Austin and Lee Ritenour. He has been featured on the ARTE TV (FRA/GER) series of his lifestyle in NYC which has been broadcasted worldwide, and has received a Jazz Piano Young Arts award. He was also a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician awards in 2013. Most recently, Picard was awarded 2nd place at the Parmigiani Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition in 2014 and was named one of the 12 upcoming artists for the Montreux Jazz Academy. During his time in NYC, Picard was featured in a solo piano album which also included Dan Tepfer and Kevin Hays. As a side project Picard has released an EP on Origami Sound (Romania) under the alias ‘JAONA’ which was released in September 2014, with critical acclaim. Currently, in his third year at Juilliard School education, Picard is a recipient of the Nina Carasso Foundation Scholarship.