“Few greater joys exist than hearing something that surprises the hell out of you – like music did when you were 16. Brekky Boy does that.” – John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald.

Montreux Jazz Award nominees Brekky Boy are a piano-driven powerhouse jazz rock trio hailing from Sydney, Australia. Drawing on artists such as Tigran Hamasyan, GoGo Penguin, Robert Glasper & The Bad Plus, the instrumental outfit has carved out an invigorating original sound that incorporates elements of jazz, rock, minimalist & folk. This combined with a captivating live show has established Brekky Boy as one of the most exciting young acts to watch in the Australian jazz/instrumental scene.

With three studio EP’s under their belt, the trio has been recognised internationally, featuring on ‘Best of The Listening Room’ Sofar Sounds in 2021. The project was hand-picked by the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation to compete in the 2019 Montreux Talent Awards as well as forming the official Montreux Jazz Festival House Band. Brekky Boy has also supported Blue Note artist Ambrose Akinmusire at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2019. Other notable festival appearances include Wellington Jazz Festival NZ, Woodford Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Mullum Music Festival, Wide Open Space Festival, Queenstown Jazz Festival NZ & venues in Japan/South-East Asia.

The line-up, comprised of pianist/band-leader Taylor Davis and recent additions Alex Hirlian (winner of the prestigious National Jazz Awards 2018 for drums) and Ryan Hurst (bass) are releasing a new record due in April 2022. Brekky Boy are touring Europe this spring 2022 including performances at jazzahead!, Germany and Tallinn Music Week, Estonia.

Hadley Agrez is the CEO & Program Director at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and has been working with the festival since 2018. Hadley brings over a decade of experience in large-scale festival delivery in roles spanning curation, programming, operations and general management. He has a particular interest in artist development in a festival context and has participated as an industry panelist at a number of domestic and international events including Jazzahead 2021 and the World Fringe Congress (Edinburgh, 2018).

https://au.linkedin.com/in/hadley-agrez-59290044

Philippa has worked internationally both as a performing musician and as a manager of projects and artists. She has lived in Berlin for over 20 years, returning regularly to Australia. As a violinist, she toured, recorded and performed internationally with orchestras and chamber music formations, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Ever keen to venture off the beaten track, she explored contemporary classical music early on.

Philippa made the move to artist management in 2007 and worked at a prominent international agency for several years and later at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, before moving on to found Real Arts in early 2019, which was inspired by her desire to more closely connect the artistic scenes of Australia and Europe. Alongside its activities today in the realm of opera/chamber/orchestral concerts, Philippa’s company takes special interest in contemporary and improvised music, interdisciplinary projects, and listening for voices which might otherwise be missed within the confines of existing traditional structures in the music industry.

BIO COMING SOON

Jazz composer, songwriter and vocalist Natalie Dietz has made a strong impression on the Australian and international jazz scene in a short time, impressing both audiences and critics alike with an ethereal vocal tone and original approach as a jazz composer and artist.

Accepted into the renowned jazz vocal program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2009, Natalie honed her performing skills under the tutelage of Australian jazz luminaries. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Voice Performance) in 2012 and a Master of Jazz Voice at New England Conservatory (USA) Natalie has toured Australia and New Zealand performing at renowned jazz venues including Sydney’s 505, the Jazzgroove Association, SIMA, Melbourne’s Paris Cat, The Ellington in Perth, Turnaround Jazz Club in Brisbane and New Zealand’s Creative Jazz Club.

Her original compositions have attracted wide attention among her contemporaries, in 2016 winning the ASCAP National Young Jazz Composer’s Award presented at New York’s Lincoln Center. Natalie recently recorded her first full length album at ABC jazz studios.

Nick Garbett is a professional freelance trumpet player, composer and band leader with 16 years of experience booking, coordinating and promoting concerts and tours throughout Australia and Europe.

Nick is currently the booking agent and tour manager for the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA), responsible for all aspects of SIMA’s international and regional touring programs. As well as working with SIMA, Nick also leads his own jazz/roots ensembles The Strides, Garfish, The Nick Garbett Quintet and The Glider and is a co-founder of the Australian jazz quartet The Vampires with whom he has co-produced six albums and toured in Australia 23 times. The Vampires showcased at Jazzahead in 2014. The showcase secured a booking agent for the region, enabling three European tours including performances in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, France and the UK.

In 2018 Nick awarded the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship which enabled him to relocate to Italy for three years. Whilst living in Italy Nick produced two records under his name, “Lontano” which was released on ABC Jazz in August 2018 and The Glider which was released on Banksia Records in September 2021.

BIO COMING SOON

“A beguiling stew of afrobeat, jazz-rock-inflected postbop, and electro-acoustic noise.” — The Wire

Reuben Lewis is an ARIA nominated trumpeter, composer, producer, improviser and electronic musician specialising in cross-genre, cross-cultural and multidisciplinary collaboration.

His latest studio album with I Hold the Lion’s Paw, titled Lost in Place, was released through Earshift Music (AU) and gained international acclaim. He releases his debut solo record, titled the House is Empty, through the Shimmering Moods label (NL) in May 2022.

Since 2012, Reuben has maintained a regular international schedule of engagements in Germany, France, Denmark, Netherlands, USA, Canada, UK, Sweden, Norway, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. He has performed 8-hour durational sleep concerts in Portugal, co-produced 24-hour concerts streamed live from Germany and Australia, participated in collaborative residencies with Norwegian music collective The Kitchen Orchestra as well as attended the Sonascopia Creative Residency in Porto, Portugal.

Martel Ollerenshaw is vice president of Europe Jazz Network, a board member of the Australian Music Centre and hcmf// (UK), and through her own creative production company Arts & Parts (UK) works with clients including Punkt Festival (NO), NICA artist development / Stadtgarten, Köln (DE), MILESTONES with Jazztopad (PL) and Pro Helvetia’s High Priority Jazz Programme (CH).

https://www.artsandparts.co.uk

GO GObetween is a free-range production house for jazz and experimental music run by Lee Paterson – usually based in London and Europe – providing agency for THE NECKS and ALEXANDER HAWKINS, and developing creative projects and PR campaigns in Europe, UK and Australia.

http://www.lifeislikejazz.com/

Stuart Rogers is a Sydneysider with 20+ years of experience programming music in Australia, the U.S., and Europe. He has consulted on and curated for festivals and venues including Freshgrass, Celebrate Brooklyn!, Scandinavia House (NYC), The Nordic House (Reykjavík), Le Poisson Rouge, Sydney Festival and The Momentary.

He has managed artists including Beth Orton and programmed festival shows by the likes of PJ Harvey, Moses Sumney, Nick Cave and The Flaming Lips. He is currently the Director of Programming at City Recital Hall.

“…astonishing power and convulsive impact.” ★★★★1⁄2 Sydney Morning Herald.

Hamed Sadeghi is an Iranian-born tar player and composer based on Gadigal land (Sydney). Trained as a Persian classical musician in Tehran, Hamed’s haunting compositions give you a taste of his cherished culture. With deep a respect for tradition and a love for Jazz, Sadeghi brings a musical fusion allying eastern and western sounds that defies neat labels.

He has released several albums to the critical acclaim and has performed at the most notable music festivals and in prestigious concert halls in Australia and overseas. He has toured nationally and internationally with his band Eishan Ensemble, the improvisation trio Vazesh and with Persian maestro Shahram Nazeri amongst others. He has been composing music for theatre productions including Belvoir, Sydney Dance Company and William Zappa’s The Iliad.

Sadeghi has earned recognition through two nominations for ARIA Awards and he has been a finalist at APRA Art Music Awards along with a nomination at Sydney Theatre Awards.

Representing BIJF, Dutch saxophonist and composer Marike van Dijk has been calling Brisbane home since her move in September 2019 (for a PhD at UQ). Originally from the Netherlands, being based in New York for several years led to collaborations with artists from different disciplines and genres, one of which is her large (12-p) chamber jazz ensemble The Stereography Project.

http://www.bijf.com.au