Jazz standards re-imagined with improvised string ensemble.

The Inlay Ensemble join vocalist Melody Beck for a night of jazz standards re-imagined with improvised string ensemble.
Playing the music of vocal jazz greats, from Ella Fitzgerald to Sarah Vaughan, and Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong, it will be a wonderful night of heart warming jazz and the sweet sounds of strings.
 
The Inlay ensemble are a New Music/Improvising string ensemble directed by Elsen Price. They feature some of Australia's unique and broad minded string players and have performed a number of sold out events and high profile engagements. Their debut album 'Songs for Habitual People' (Creative Source Recordings) received 4/5 stars in The Australian and were described as 'There is a yearning quality in the music, which overall is atmospheric and infectious'.
 
Melody Beck - Vocals,  Susie Bishop - Violin,  Isabel Tzorbatzaki - Violin,  Connor Malanos - Viola,  John Napier - Cello,  Elsen Price - Double Bass

Level 1 is the intimate room

5pm Doors/Restaurant
6.30pm band

$20 + booking fee
$35 + bf includes a meal 🍕 

 Artists:
Melody Beck completed a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies from UNSW, completed four diplomas in classical singing, and has industry training from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts London and Masterclasses with the likes of Adam Guettel, Hayden Tee, and Marni Nixon.
Career highlights include winning the 'Your Theatrics International Cabaret Contest', which toured through Australia and New York with her cabaret show UNSEEN: The Voice of Hollywood, A tribute to Marni Nixon, with invitation to collaborate with Ms Nixon in New York.
Melody’s professional theatre credits include Oklahoma, Grease, Little Shop Of Horrors, Reefer Madness, Aida, Merrily We Roll Along, The Producers, Annie, Wicked, and Stalker: The Musical.
 
Susie Bishop is a highly versatile multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. After completing a BCA at Wollongong University, she won a scholarship to continue her studies in the UK where she completed an MMus at the RNCM in 2010 majoring in Opera. She has been fortunate enough to perform with such inspiring and acclaimed artists as Jane Rutter, David Helfgott, Robin Blaze and has been under the masterful direction of Nicholas Kraemer, Peter Wiegold and Rachel McDonald amongst many others. Since returning to Australia her classical engagements have included soloist Soprano with the Parsons Affayre, The Marais Project, guest performances with The Song Company and St. James Choir, and a regular recital series at the Independent Theatre with pianist Emily-Rose Sarkova. Her other current projects include Chaika, contemporary Tango quintet Tángalo, and duo with Laura Bishop. Her other collaborations include Dave Calandra and the Min Min Lights, Portable Junk and Elysian Fields, with Jenny Eriksson.
 
Isabel is a freelance violinist who regularly performs for various Sydney-based companies and orchestras. Isabel is a versatile musician and has extensive experience playing in a wide variety of genres across classical, world and popular music. Isabel completed her Bachelor of Music and Honours degrees at the Melbourne Conservatorium and attained her Masters degree in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium. Her Masters thesis was entitled “Learning Middle-Eastern Music is a Conservatory context” and her recital featured a mix of western ‘oriental’ pieces as well as her own arrangements and transcriptions of Kurdish and Persian folk melodies.
 
Connor Malanos has 20 years of experience playing string instruments. Starting on violin, and then moving to viola on a scholarship early on. In 2010 was granted entry into the Conservatorium High School, and went on to Major in Viola, graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Bachelor of Music Education. This foundation of music training has led him all around Australia and New Zealand on various musical projects including beatboxing! Connor is a founding Member of the Quart-Ed String Quartet, a group of music educators that form a string quartet. Since 2019 they have toured to share string quartet music to regional schools and enthral the next generation of musicians audiences with Folk, Jazz, Music Theatre, Movie themes, and Western Art Music. Connor performed as part of the QuartEd String Quartet in the 2019 VIVID Light festival. Connor has experience in jazz, tango, orchestras, various classical and contemporary chamber groups, as well as solo performance, even mingling with technology performing with a looping station. At the moment Connor finds joy in folk music, improvisation, and sharing his musical experiences through teaching at schools.
 
 Dr John Napier received his undergraduate training in music and postgraduate training in performance at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, graduating in 1983 with the Medal for Excellence. He immediately joined the Queensland Theatre Orchestra as principal cellist.
 He received his doctorate in 2001 for his study of accompanying ensembles in North Indian vocal music. His current research includes North Indian music, specifically the documentation of katha or epic singers in Eastern Rajasthan, music of the Kodava of South India, and diaspora music making. He is currently senior lecturer in Musicology and Ethnomusicology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He continues a part-time career in performance.