Eri Yamamoto Pianist/ Composer

Since moving to the United States in 1995, Eri Yamamoto has established herself as one of jazz's most original and compelling pianists and composers. Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has said, "My hat's off to her... already she's found her own voice."

The Eri Yamamoto Trio has developed a unique sound and repertoire, and has built a strong following in New York and abroad. They have recently toured the U. S., Canada, Europe, and Japan, with appearances at major festivals in Jazz en Raffale, Canada; Cheltenham, England; Terrassa, Spain; Bray/Derry, Ireland; Time Zones in Bari, Italy; and Shiga, Japan. Eri has also been collaborating with such creative and celebrated musicians as William Parker, Daniel Carter, Hamid Drake, Federico Ughi, and Yves Léveillé.

In 2009, Eri composed trio music to accompany the 1932 silent film by the master director, Yasujiro Ozu, I Was Born But... This music was premiered in a festival in Munich, Germany, and five of the songs appear on her CD, In Each Day, Something Good.

In 2012 release, her latest trio CD, The Next Page on AUM Fidelity Label is her eighth CD as a leader. Her ten new compositions evoke a wide range of images and moods, inspired by moments of grace in her daily life, and her encounters of natural beauty at home and throughout her travels.

Eri has also developed a personal voice as a solo pianist, and has moved audiences with her renditions of her own compositions and her spontaneous improvisations. In 2008, she gave a nine-concert solo tour of Italy to popular and critical acclaim. She has also given solo concerts in Japan and the United States.

Since 2009, Eri has had a special collaboration with French-Canadian pianist

Yves Léveillé, performing at several concerts and clubs throughout Canada.

In 2010, they released a CD, Pianos, that features 10 of their original compositions in duo and solo settings. They added multi-reed virtuoso Paul McCandless to their ensemble, and recently toured Canada, where they deeply moved audiences with their lyrical and compelling music.

Eri was born in Osaka, Japan, and began playing classical piano at age three. She started composing when only eight years old, and studied voice, viola, and composition through her high school and college years. In 1995, she visited New York for the first time, and by chance heard Tommy Flanagan performing. She was so inspired by her first experience of a jazz piano trio that she decided on the spot to move to New York and dedicate herself to learning jazz.

Later that year, Eri entered the New School University's prestigious jazz program, where she studied with Reggie Workman, Junior Mance, and LeeAnn Ledgerwood. In 1999, while still in school, she started playing regularly at the Avenue B Social Club, a popular spot among jazz musicians in the East Village. There she developed a musical friendship with fellow pianist Matthew Shipp.

Since 2000, Eri's trio has been appearing regularly at Arthur's Tavern, a historic jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village. In addition to her European performances, she has performed at the Hartford International Jazz Festival, An Die Musik in Baltimore, and Lincoln Center Summer Festival in New York City.

Eri has appeared on two William Parker recordings, Luc' s Lantern and Corn Meal Dance, and has performed in Italy, Holland, Norway, Tunisia and Portugal with his trio and sextet. She has also worked with such musical luminaries as Ron McClure, Andy McKee, Lewis Barns, Rob Brown, Leena Conquest, Butch Morris, Arthur Kell, Kevin Tkacs, and Whit Dickey.

Finally, Eri is a gifted educator. She received her master of music in education and composition from Shiga University, Japan. She has taught private lessons and workshops to jazz musicians of all instruments from the U. S., Japan, Europe, and North Africa.

www.eriyamamoto.com eri@eriyamamoto.com

Eri Yamamoto bio, p. 2

"For the past 25 years, David Ambrosio has been one of New York City's finest freelance musicians and educators. His current working projects as a leader are CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: Blue Note Records in the Progressive '60s, featuring Grammy nominated saxophonist Donny McCaslin and drumming legend Victor Lewis; the David Ambrosio Quartet featuring the powerful tenor/trumpet front line of Tim Hagans and Joel Frahm, working in a chordless format; and the David Ambrosio Trio, featuring saxophonist Loren Stillman.

In addition to his own ensembles, he is the co-leader of the David Ambrosio/Russ Meissner Sextet, 40Twenty, and Grupo Los Santos, as well as being a part of many other groups including George Schuller's Circle Wide, the Matt Renzi Trio, Eri Yamamoto Trio, and the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra led by Jim McNeely. He has performed with such jazz greats as Kenny Werner, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, George Garzone, Joseph Jarmon, and Ralph Alessi.

David's third recording as leader, Four on the Road (Fresh Sound Records, 2018), was praised as "Swinging brilliance in the light of interactive engagement, creating music that challenges while remaining largely accessible" by Dan Bilawsky of All About Jazz.

With degrees in classical composition and jazz performance, David has a broad musical palate that has become even more intensified by his extensive travel experiences. In 2001 he had the opportunity to perform in Cuba with Grupo Los Santos, Max Pollack's Rumbatap, as well as numerous local Afro/Cuban folkloric music and dance ensembles. Not long after, he began what has become an 14-year period of intense study of Afro/Cuban Bata drumming with master drummers Miguel Bernal, Carlos Gomez, and Carlos Aldama.

David has also frequently toured in Central and South East Asia on behalf of the US State Department as a performer and clinician. Currently he is on the faculty at Hunter College and the New York Jazz Workshop in NYC."

"Ikuo Takeuchi, born in Japan, is a drummer, composer and has lived in New York City since 1988. He has been regularly performing in New York city and touring to Europe and Japan. Experience to play with many musicians such as Ron McClure, Cecil McBee, Richie Beirach, Eddie Henderson, George Gazone, Bruce Saunders, Jacob Sacks, the late Mr. Arnie Lawrence and so on. Takeuchi earned BFA from the New School university for Jazz & contemporary music in NYC. He studied composition (especially 20C. music) with Dr. Henry Martin. Also studied drumming with Charli Persip, Michael Carvin, Andrew Cyrill, Kenwood Dennard, Joe Chambers and learned free style of jazz performing with Reggie Workman. He has been the regular drummer of Eri Yamamoto trio for twenty years."

"Vince Peterson is a respected choral conductor, composer/arranger, and teacher of music in the United States. His 20-year hybrid career spans the worlds of choral music, theater, sacred music, and music education. He has, however, established himself most prominently in the world of choral music, notably having founded the "shape-shifting" vocal ensemble Choral Chameleon in 2008. Under his leadership, Choral Chameleon has premiered more than 150 works since its nascence and has won critical acclaim in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The New York Concert Review, I Care If You Listen, The Examiner, and other publications. In 2015, the ensemble was awarded the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. In 2017, the group was named the first vocal ensemble artist-in-residence at NYC's undisputed new music hub, National Sawdust.

A native of San Francisco, Peterson began professional work in music at the unusually early age of sixteen when he became the organist and music director of his home parish. He studied piano from age six, and organ from age eleven. In high school, he toured internationally as a choral accompanist, appearing in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Philippines, and throughout Italy, where he also appeared before Pope John Paul II and played for mass inside of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. During his college years, he apprenticed under the inimitable Joseph Jennings. A colleague he met through Joe would eventually write of him:

"Already, his brilliance as an arranger, accompanist and conductor were evident. He studied seriously, argued brilliantly, and soaked up all the knowledge and experience imparted by his Bay Area mentors. He also gained an appreciation and understanding of the rare (at that time) 'professional choral musician.' It is little wonder that he would relocate to a place as musically rich, and yet dynamically challenging as New York City (Brooklyn, to be precise) to begin his own musical enterprise: one that focused on the well-being of the choral singer as a professional, the creation of new choral music, and the development of a multi-generational audience ready, willing and able to accept whatever new concoction Vince would throw at them."

In 2003, Peterson earned the BM in Composition from San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of celebrated vocal music composer Conrad Susa. He has also studied composition with David Conte, Elinor Armer, and Philip Lasser. In 2007, he earned a Double MM in Composition and Choral Conducting from Mannes College of Music where he studied under pioneer conductor Mark Shapiro as well as the composer David Loeb. Upon receipt of his Master's Degree, he was also awarded the singular Music Teacher's League Award for 2007.

As a prolific arranger, Peterson has received seven commissions to date from the multi-Grammy® Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer, whose YouTube videos of his work have garnered over half a million views. Several of his choral arrangements and original compositions have become staples for choirs across the United States. Distinguished performance venues include Chicago Symphony Hall, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Carnegie Hall, among others.

A recognized thought-leader in the music world, The New York Times called Peterson "authoritative beyond his... years," and The Brooklyn Eagle praised his work as "a stunning symphony of the spiritual and secular," while hailing him as a solo performer "with depth and vigor" who "provided a universal context which resonated with his audience."

In 2018, Vince Peterson was awarded the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal by Chorus America, a lifetime distinction he shares with only fourteen of the most influential choral musicians in the United States. When endorsing his candidacy for this award, another cherished colleague wrote:

"Vince Peterson's record speaks more eloquently for him than I can ever do. I will conclude by saying that after my many years now as a choral conductor, singer, and teacher of some accomplishment, I have been running low on sources of inspiration and hope; but when I look to Vince Peterson, I am always refreshed again. That is the impact of his work on me. He is clearly the artist this award is meant to recognize and support. It has been my privilege to nominate him today."

In addition to his work with Choral Chameleon, Peterson is overjoyed to serve as Artistic Director of Empire City Men's Chorus, which he has recently ushered through its 25th Anniversary Season."