an afternoon of jazz - Great American Songbook featuring Norman Seck Trio
Norman Seck began his education at Berklee College of Music in Fall 2006. He was the recipient of the Singapore, National Arts Council Overseas Arts Bursary as well as the Berklee Achievement-based Scholarship. He graduated in Fall 2008, and was awarded a Bachelor of Music – Summa Cum Laude (First-Class Honours) in Professional Music. He has performed for various advance ensembles, including the Advanced Small Band Ensemble (Lin Biviano), Latin Jazz Ensemble (Oscar Stagnaro), The Meters – Funk Ensemble (Bob Tamagni). Norman was the keyboardist for the Campus Crusade worship band and performed with Tim Hughes. He was involved in the musical “Magicbox” that was composed by Singapore’s leading composer/arranger Iskandar Ismail. Norman was featured at the recent Singapore Mosaic Music Festival 2009 as a Solo Jazz Artist as well as the leader of the Norman Seck Trio.
Tan Boon Gee is sought-after drummer who’s equally adept at rock, fusion and jazz. He has performed in overseas and local music festivals like Kutchan, Jazz Yatra, Batam, Heineken Jazz Under The Stars and the IAJE Conference 2003 held in Canada, alongside jazz luminary, Ernie Watts, at the first Singapore International Jazz festival in 2001, O’Donel Levy at Bernie Goes To Town and with Mildred Jones at the Somerset’s Bar, Paul Ponnudorai at the Mosaic Festivals, and Jeremy Monteiro at the Chicago Connection Concert Esplanade. He is now the resident drummer at Jazz@Southbridge and has performed with artistes Eugene Pao, Marcus Printup, Aaron Goldberg, Bob Reynolds, James Flynn Charito, Hakan Rydin and Harry Happel. He joined the band, Red Cow and won the Best Drummer Award in the Yamaha Band Alert 2000. His recorded self-titled album, “Stupid’A’ Song”, saw much radio success. Boon Gee has recorded with Jacintha Abisheganaden for her CD “Love Flows Like A River. Boon Gee has also worked with Wild Rice on Cinderel-LAH –a musical pantomime production, and RiceBall – an annual fundraising concert. He is now a Mapex endorsed artiste, joining celebrated drummers such as Chris Adler from Lamb of God, Will Calhoun, Gregg Bissonette and Dom Famularo.
Colin Yong is an all-round electric, upright bass player and renegade flute and ethnic flute player. He has performed in numerous local music festivals like Singapore Jazz Festival, Mosaic Music Festival (2005, 2006 & 2008), and International Music/Jazz Festivals in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Berlin, and in China, Japan, India, and South East Asia. He worked with Jeremy Monteiro, Ernie Watts, the late Eldee Young, Eugene Pao, Tots Tolentino, David Packer, Michael Veerapen, Iskander Ismail, Jimmy Lee, John “Kaisen” Neptune, and V Selvaganash. He had also backed-up noted Jazz and Pop Singers Patricio Buanne, Fei Xiang, Kit Chan, Su Rei, Jacintha, Rani Singham, Anne Weerapas, and Norazela. Colin also has a great love for musical theatreand has played and recorded for several locally produced original musicals, including Musical Revue Dim Sum Dollies from 2004 – 2008, Wild Rice’s Pantomines Cinderel-LAH, Aladdin, Oi! Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, musical Revue Broadway Beng II and III, Chinese Musical If there were Seasons… and Musical Magic Show, The Magic Box. Other Broadway musicals include Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret!, Tick Tick Boom…, Hello Broadway (musical extravaganza with Broadway stars Judy Kuhn, Jerry Dixon, Conducted by Tony Award Winner, Jason R Brown).
1.Summertime
2.Our Love is Here to Stay
3.Yesterdays
Dances with a Piano (21 October 2009)
Pianist Juyeon Kang, a concert artist and educator, has brought the perfect blend of exquisite sounds and formidable techniques to her audiences in four continents, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Finland, Italy, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea.
In 1998, Juyeon won the Heida Hermann’s Young Artists Competition and the Josef Hofmann Piano Competition. Her prize-winning performance at the Jeuness Musical de Corée Debut Series audition gave her an opportunity to give a solo debut recital that was broadcast on national television in Korea, and as a winner of the Young Promising Artists Series audition, Juyeon was invited to give a recital at the prestigious Seoul Arts Center. She also was awarded top prizes from the San Antonio International Competition in Texas, the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York City, the IBLA International Piano Competition in Italy, and the Musica de Pianoforte Piano Competition in Korea. Juyeon earned a doctoral and master’s degrees in piano performance and literature, as well as a master’s degree in pedagogy of music theory at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. where she was also awarded a distinguished performer’s certificate. She also received the prestigious Artist Diploma in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
Juyeon has appeared as a soloist with numerous symphony orchestras, and her performances have been aired on television in Korea and on National Public Radio in the US. She has taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and has been a guest faculty at various international institutions in Brazil, Canada, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and United States. She has adjudicated numerous competitions including the Lee University Competition in Tennessee, Iowa International Piano Competition in Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska Music Teachers Association Piano Competitions and Festivals, and Genevieve Truran Piano Competition in South Dakota. Since 2003, Juyeon has been on the faculty of Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa, and in recognition of her contribution to the community area, she was selected for the Northwest Iowa Review’s “Top 20 Under 40 Honor” in 2008 for her outstanding achievement in performance.