Press Enter to search
Maria de la Paz returned to tango after leaving Argentina. For the past ten years, she has regularly traveled between her two horizons: the childhood of the New World and her life as a musician in old Europe. In Switzerland, she met Alexandre Cellier, a passionate explorer of world music and musical encounters. Her instrument of choice is the piano, but the musical journey continues with unusual instruments such as the Hang and the Fujara, and surprising improvisations may emerge from instruments built on stage or from everyday objects—borrowed from her garden or a household that suddenly becomes enchanted.
Youn Sun Nah is among the great voices of contemporary jazz, praised for her ability to navigate between lyrical drama, free improvisation, and disarming sincerity. Born in Seoul, she began with piano and gospel before moving to Paris to study jazz and contemporary music. Her unique talent quickly emerged, leading to several awards and a debut album in 2001, Reflet. She then achieved international recognition with Same Girl (2010) and Lento (2013), both gold records in France and Germany. She has since performed on the most prestigious stages, from the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014 to International Jazz Day in Havana, notably alongside Herbie Hancock and Esperanza Spalding. Appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2019, she joined Warner Music with the album Immersion. Amidst the pandemic, she composed Waking World, her first entirely original opus. With Elles, her most recent project, Youn Sun Nah continues to weave connections between styles and cultures with an extraordinary voice and sensibility.
Youn Sun Nah is one of contemporary jazz’s most admired vocalists, celebrated for her fluid movement between high drama, abstract improvisation, and disarming simplicity. Born in Seoul, she began her musical path with piano and gospel before studying jazz and contemporary music in Paris. Her unique artistry quickly drew acclaim, leading to competition wins and her 2001 debut album Reflet.
International recognition followed with acclaimed albums like Same Girl (2010) and Lento (2013), both certified Gold in France and Germany. She has since performed at iconic venues and festivals across the globe, including the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and UNESCO’s International Jazz Day in Havana alongside Herbie Hancock and Esperanza Spalding.
Named Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2019, she joined Warner Music with Immersion. During the pandemic, she released Waking World, her first album of original songs. With her latest project Elles, Youn Sun Nah continues to bridge genres and cultures with a voice and vision that transcend borders.
“Yilian is one of the most incredible talents of the new generation of Cuban musicians. She is a virtuoso, she is expressive, spontaneous and with a grace that makes her the favorite of all of us.” — Chucho Valdés
Yilian Cañizares is one of the most intriguing contemporary violinists, singers and composers. Always staying true to her origins, she skilfully blends jazz, classical and Afro- Cuban rhythms with her otherworldly voice. Whether on stage or in a recording studio, there are few talented artists like Yilian – who was born in Havana and settled in Switzerland – with such great respect for the past and sensitivity towards the future, accompanied by a smile to die for.
With roots and upbringing spanning Yemen, Israel and the United States, Achinoam Nini aka Noa, is a singer, songwriter, poet, composer, percussionist, speaker, activist and mother of three children.
Together with her longstanding musical collaborator Gil Dor, accomplished musician and co-founder of the Rimon School of music, Noa has released 15 international albums and graced many of the world’s most important and prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall and the White House and has performed for three Popes. She has been mentored by Pat Metheny and Quincy Jones and shared the stage with legends such as Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli and Sting.
In addition to her prolific musical activity, Noa is considered Israel’s most prominent cultural advocate of dialogue and co-existence, her “Voice of Peace”.
Among her many awards is Commander of Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, one of Italy’s highest honors, Pilgrim of Peace from The Franciscan order in Assisi (awarded in the past to Bill Gates and Mother Theresa), and the Christal Award from the World Economic Forum. Noa is Israel’s first ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and is active as board-member and public advocate of a score of Human Rights and Peace organizations in Israel and abroad.
Time Magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva”, and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2021. The BBC has included her in its list of the continent’s 50 most iconic figures, and in 2011 The Guardian listed her as one of their Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World. Forbes Magazine has ranked Angelique as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa. She is the recent recipient of the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award given by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award, the 2018 German Sustainability Award, the 2023 Vilcek Prize in Music, and the 2023 Polar Music Prize.
As a performer, her striking voice, stage presence and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America.
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, pianist and cellist. She has a phenomenal mastery for seamlessly crossing the boundaries of classical, jazz, reggae, soul and R&B, to imprint her unique musical signature with her virtuosic tap, strum and bow with her cello into her sound and vibe.
“As a second-generation Jamaican born in Britain, my music is a body of work that represents, celebrates and pays homage to my ancestral heritage, culture and identity,” explains Ayanna.
An acclaimed and celebrated performer, Ayanna has collaborated with many stellar artists, including Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney, Andrea Bocelli and Jools Holland. She has also toured extensively across the UK, Europe and the US.
After graduating with a first-class degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and the Manhattan School of Music, Ayanna participated in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Young Composers Scheme. Soon after, as Emerging Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre, Ayanna performed as a featured artist with Courtney Pine’s Afropeans: Jazz Warriors. Later, whilst studying in the USA at New York’s Manhattan School of Music, she became the only non-American to win ‘Amateur Night Live at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC.
As a composer, Ayanna has been commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra, Güerzenich Orchester, Ligeti Quartet, Kronos Quartet and The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company to name but a few. She was also selected as an arranger/orchestrator for the London Symphony Orchestra (Hugh Masekela, Belief) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Urban Classic).
Ayanna has released three EPs (‘Truthfully’, ‘Black Panther’ & ‘Ella, Reuben & Ay’) and put out her debut album ‘Road Runner’ in 2019, with its two subsequent singles’ Nothing Less’ and ‘Crossroads’, via her own independent record label (Hill and Gully Records). Ayanna has worked with producers Marc Mac (4Hero), James Yarde (Terri Walker, Jamelia, Eric Benet) and recorded with featured artists, including pianist Robert Mitchell and rapper Akala.
With her January 2021 surprise-released EP ‘Rise Up, Ayanna again combined reggae, classical, jazz and R&B to celebrate black culture and identity to uplift and inspire the next generation. The stunning collection of three tracks and videos featuring Akala on ‘Rise Up’, Cleveland Watkiss on ‘Declaration Of Rights’ and the ‘Rise Up Riddim’ have received a huge amount of critical acclaim.
Ayanna said, ‘In ‘Rise Up’, I created a song with a strong message specifically influenced by my Jamaican heritage. The starting point was a dancehall riddim that informed the main cello riff. Lyrically, I challenged myself to create something uplifting with an uplifting message, and it just flowed. I wrote the song for the next generation in the black community to remember they are the key to the future. To celebrate their culture and to be proud of it. Now is not the time to give up on your dreams. No matter how hard things seem, Rise Up, embrace our history and claim our birth rights of freedom and joy.”
Many of Ayanna’s remarkable tracks have received airplay on radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, 2, 3, 4, 6, BBC Radio London, BBC Manchester, Jazz FM and Scala Radio. Her TV credits include BBC One, London Live, Channel 4 (Sing It Loud: Black and Proud), BBC Proms and a stunning performance on Later…with Jools Holland (BBC One).
Despite the challenges of 2020, Ayanna took it all in her stride and continued to create music. She performed a special Livestream for Royal Albert Hall, took part in Trinity Laban’s Virtual Orchestra and picked up an AIM Award nomination for ‘Best Live Act’. In addition, she presented two shows at Wigmore Hall, appeared on BBC Radio 3’s ‘This Classical Life’ podcast, co-wrote and featured on Anoushka Shankar’s Grammy single ‘Those Words’ from the Grammy-nominated Love Letters EP. Ayanna also collaborated with and featured on Nitin Sawhney’s stunning single ‘Movement Variation II’ taken from his acclaimed recent album ‘Immigrants’.
2021 was a stellar year for Ayanna. Collaborating with Solem Quartet as part of their Beethoven Bartok Now series, she has also had her song ‘Draw the Line’, commissioned by The Hermes Experiment, and featured on their sophomore album ‘Songs’. Ayanna also featured on the track called ‘Flow My Tears’ with John Aram, the arranger for Phil Collins. The song is a slick, modern-day reimagining of English composer John Dowland’s 400- year-old music. That year saw Ayanna return to the live stage, headlining at London’s iconic Jazz Café and Kings Place. She made additional performances supporting Nubiyan Twist on their UK tour, participating in ‘Jazz Voice’ (the opening of the London Jazz Festival) at the Royal Festival Hall and a 22-date US tour with Opera superstar Andrea Bocelli.
Now in 2022, Ayanna continues her composition work with several commissions for ensembles and orchestras, including a Royal Philharmonic Society Commission for the Philharmonia Ensemble. Her talent has seen her compose for the sold out, hit theatre production, ‘The Collaboration’, at London’s Young Vic Theatre, and compose for the renowned documentary ‘Hostile’ whilst working on her sophomore album.
With two headlined shows at London’s Purcell Rooms, and a headlined show at Wigmore Hall featuring guest artists, Ayanna’s continues to inspire with her composition ‘FAIYA!’ performed by the LSO in Trafalgar Square (conducted by Sir Simon Rattle), and collaborating on a number of live performances with ‘Solem Quartet’ of her composition ‘Island Suite’, which was originally commissioned by them as part of their ‘Beethoven Bartok Now Part IV’ series.
Venturing into new territories, Ayanna has been cast in a cameo role in the new Amazon Prime series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s ‘Anansi Boys’, alongside greats such as Whoopi Goldberg, which airs in 2023.
Ayanna is a performer of extraordinary versatility, due to her musical prowess, mesmerising vocals, non-compromising lyrics, and ability to deftly reinterpret songs on the cello. Her must-see live shows are intimate journeys that chronicle her experience as a female artist in the 21st century.
Ayanna Witter-Johnson is the very definition of eclectic soul.
Nola Kin is the solo project of Carla Fellinger. On her four track debut EP „Fallstreak“ – out on April 22nd 2022 via Orange Peel Records – the songwriter puts her warm and husky voice and songwriting skills front and center. It’s a record that gets under your skin.
After a three-year break from playing gigs around the country, a challenging phase of reflecting and sitting with grief, both personally and creatively, she learned to face this process with the necessary patience. After taking time to regain her love and connection to music she has found a way of combining formative musical influences and lyricism to explore personal themes. The musician herself describes the record as inherently optimistic, a reconciliation with herself and her inner conflicts: «To me it feels like having taken a long and tiring hike through my own history returning to a warm home. A comforting feeling that brings me a bit closer to myself.» With the courage to embrace her own vulnerability she is taking the stage as an incredibly inventive and strong musician.
Her debut EP “Fallstreak” will be out on April 22nd via Orange Peel Records
Iason Marmaras is a keyboard player, singer, and the founder and leader of the ensemble os orphicum. He was awarded a Master’s degree on Harpsichord (2012) under Fabio Bonizzoni and Ton Koopman; and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Music Singing (2011) under Barbara Pearson, Kees Jan de Koning, Jill Feldman, Michael Chance and Peter Kooij; at the Royal Conservatoire in Den Haag, the Netherlands.
Iason has performed as a continuo player, singing soloist, ensemble- and choir-singer under such musicians as Jos van Veldhoven, Jos Vermunt, Peter van Heyghen, Charles Toet, Jan Kleinbussink, Jaap ter Linden, Peter Kooij, Harry van der Kamp and Fabio Bonizzoni. In 2009 he sang Lesbo in Handel’s Agrippina under Hernán Schvartzman, and in 2011 he sang Amor in Monteverdi’s l’Incoronazione di Poppea under Markellos Chrysikopoulos. He is also an increasingly sought-after vocal coach, and the regular accompanist of soprano Stefanie True and counter-tenor Jan Kullmann.
Even before his formal acquaintance with the harpsichord, he was an avid continuo-player and improviser on the piano, and he still regards continuo-playing and improvisation as vital though largely neglected parts of musicianship today. His universal love for music has led to his avid (and increasing) interest in ensemble-leading and direction, and he has organised and directed numerous concerts during the years of his study, also following instruction in conducting with Hernán Schvartzman and Marine Fribourg.
Born in Baku in 1995, Maharram Huseynov began studying singing in the class of Svetlana Mirzoeva at the Rostropovich Music School in Baku. At the Osimo Academy of Lyric Art she studied with Lella Cuberli and Raina Kabaivanska. In 2016, he attended the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro with Alberto Zedda. He perfected his studies at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala with Renato Bruson. He also participates in master classes with Galina Vishnevskaya, Tom Kraus, Bernadette Manca di Nassa, Ildar Abdrazakov and Juan Diego Florez.
His early stage debuts include the roles of Morales in Carmen; Rector in Mese Mariano by Giordano at the Teatro La Nuova Fenice, Don Alvaro in Il Viaggio a Reims at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro; Demon in San Guglielmo Duca d’Aquitania by Pergolesi under the direction of Christophe Rousset at the Pergolesi Spontini Festival in Jesi; and at the Rieti Festival as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia under the direction of Fabio Biondi.
In the next seasons, he will act as Dandini in La Cenerentola at the Rossini Theater, in Don Giovanni for the OperaCamion project of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. In the role of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, he toured with the Teatro San Carlo from Naples to Dubai.
On the stage of the Teatro alla Scala, he participated in the Accademia production of Ali Baba E I 40 Ladroni in the role of Ours-Kan, directed by Paolo Carignani and staged by Liliana Cavani. As Dulcamara in l’Elisir d’Amore for young people, later re-released at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Under the direction of Valery Gergiev, he debuted as the Lutheran Pastor in Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina. Alongside Ambrogio Maestri, he played the role of Poet in Salieri’s Prima La Musica Poi Le Parole and Guccio in Gianni Schicchi, directed by Woody Allen. Like Monterone in Rigoletto, he sings alongside Leo Nucci, under the baton of Daniel Oren.
His latest engagements include Colline in la Bohème at the Modena and Piacenza theatres, and his debut at the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg, where he appeared in several operas, including the role of Figaro in le Nozze di Figaro; Colline in la Bohème; Angelotti in Tosca; Conte Monterone in Rigoletto; Jake Wallace in the Girl from the West; Nilakantha in Lakme ; Don Giovanni as Leporello and Masetto, Dulcamara in l’Elisir d’Amore, Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Mandarino in Turandot.
Maharram is the winner of prestigious international competitions, such as the Odessa Sozvezdie Competition (1st Prize, 2008), the Muslim Magomaev Moscow Competition (2nd Prize, 2016), and the Sergei Leiferkus Moscow Competition (finalist, 2019). As a soloist, he has participated in the Mstislav Rostropovic Festival, the Gabala Festival, the Follonica Festival and the Uzeir Hajibeyli Festival. In 2020, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan awarded him the Presidential Award.