Ella Fitzgerald: A Life in Song, feat. Talie Monin & Ted Lo

[Event postponed due to Covid-19.]

A jazz-chamber concert featuring the music of Ella Fitzgerald, headlined by singer Talie Monin and pianist Ted Lo. The 70-minute concert will explore Ella's life through her most-loved songs, in original arrangement for a unique ensemble of jazz musicians and Hong Kong Philharmonic members, and accompanied with narration.

Performers:

Talie Monin, vocals

Ted Lo, piano

Lorenzo Iosco, clarinet/bass clarinet/saxophone

Chris Moyse, trumpet

Vance Lee, bassoon

Aziz Barnard Luce, drums/percussion

Jeff Lehmberg, jazz bass

Bios

Zulu South African contemporary jazz vocalist Talie Monin has enjoyed a spectacular rise among the top ranks of the global jazz elite after winning the Audience Choice Award at the 2018 Montreux Jazz Festival.

In 2019, she released her wildly successful debut album 24 Strathay, of which the top American jazz critic and head of programming at JazzWorks in the US wrote: “Exuberant elegance! This is 21^st-century musical alchemy that’s pointing jazz towards the future.” Monin also headlined a command performance in Beijing, China, as part of the global centennial celebrations commemorating Nelson Mandela’s birth. In 2019, she won the award for Best Female Jazz Artist at the Mzantsi Jazz Awards in South Africa. Backed by her highly talented band, the World Jazz Compendium, Monin has received widespread acclaim at numerous jazz festivals and club performances around the world.  

Monin’s compelling vocal style seamlessly blends elements of her African heritage with the authentic heart and soul of American jazz to create a truly extraordinary musical expression of joy and excitement. Monin is currently in pre-production for her second album, which is scheduled for release in 2022. Songs from the album 24 Strathay are currently available on all major streaming platforms.

In 1976, Hong Kong-born jazz pianist Ted Lo was the first Chinese graduate of Berklee College of Music in the United States. Lo began his career in jazz as a pianist in the Boston scene during the 70’s. He made his first recording session debut on Colors, an album featuring the legendary Brazilian trombonist Raul de Souza, percussionist Jack DeJonnette, and bassist Richie Davis. In 1977, Lo toured with the rock legend Al Kooper.

In 1979, Lo moved to New York City and worked as a sideman for legendary flautist Herbie Mann, and subsequently, the renowned Ron Carter. By 1990, Lo collaborated with notable artists including, Special EFX, Michael Franks, Eric Gale, Astrud Gilberto, Gregory Hines, Stix Hooper, Noel Pointer, Airto and Flora Purim and Dave Valentin, among many others. While in the United States, Lo performed at the Blue Note in New York City, the Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and the Keystone Korner in San Francisco. Lo was featured internationally at North Sea Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival.

Lo returned to Hong Kong in 1996 and has devoted his career to raising awareness about jazz music in his home city through his performances and community engagements. A frequent collaborator with local universities, Lo is committed to promoting the art and style of jazz among the next generation of Hong Kong musicians.

Lorenzo Antonio Iosco holds the Bass Clarinet position at the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Previously, he was a member of the London Symphony Orchestra for eight years and of the Madrid Opera House (Teatro Real) in Spain for three years. Born in Potenza, Italy, in 1985, he studied at the Luigi Cherubini conservatory in Florence. As soloist Lorenzo has performed the most important repertoire for clarinet (Mozart, Weber, Rossini) several times in Europe and Asia, and made his London Wigmore Hall debut in collaboration with the London Conchord Ensemble. He studied orchestral conducting in Florence and Rome, and has been regularly invited to conduct ensembles at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music of London, Royal Orchestra Society and Oxford University, Arezzo Youth Orchestra, Castelbuono Classica Symphony Orchestra and the Florence Sinfonietta.

Lorenzo is Founder and Music/Artistic Director of Ensemble Ubertini, a chamber orchestra based in Tuscany with guest musicians from Hong Kong, Europe and United Kingdom. The ensemble has participated to several classic festivals in Italy (Festival delle Musiche and Castelbuono Classica) and given concerts with the Italian pianist Gilda Buttà (official pianist of Ennio Morricone) playing the first version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. Future engagements will see Lorenzo conducting and playing in California, Italy, China and Australia.

Christopher Moyse was appointed to the trumpet section of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra by Edo de Waart in 2005, following his studies at the Royal College of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Royal Academy of Music. His trumpet professors included Malcolm Smith, Andrew Crowley, Robert Sullivan, Paul Beniston, Paul Archibald, Howard Snell and James Watson. Born into a musical family, Chris began cornet lessons with his father at the Worthing Salvation Army brass band and progressed to become a member of the International Staff Band. His first experience of orchestral playing came through the Brighton Youth Orchestra with whom he toured Hong Kong in 2000. He has performed as guest principal trumpet with several other orchestras including the Hallé Orchestra, Macau Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Seoul Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony and Ulster Orchestra. Currently Associate Principal Bassoon, Vance Lee has joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since the 2000/01 season. He also served as Principal Bassoon with the Hartford Symphony and the Connecticut Opera, both in the United States, where he was born and raised.

A native of Washington D. C., Aziz D. Barnard Luce joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil) as Principal Percussionist in 2011. Aziz holds degrees from Boston University as well as the New England Conservatory, graduating with academic honours, and has twice been awarded a Tanglewood Music Center fellowship. Before joining the HK Phil, Aziz was the Principal Percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra in Florida and has performed with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Orchestras.

Jeff Lehmberg joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005. He then served as Principal Bass of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta for one season before returning to the HK Phil in 2007. Besides his classical work, Jeff is also a freelance jazz bassist, and plays regularly with several groups around Hong Kong. Jeff was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US, and grew up in the state of Kansas. He received his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy at Columbia University in New York City while also studying bass at The Juilliard School.  After teaching public school in Los Angeles as a member of Teach for America, he returned to New York City to study double bass performance at Mannes College of Music.