Volant
AUSTRALIA
Matthew Ottignon saxophones, composer
Lauren Tsamouras piano
Hannah James double pass
Hayley Chan drums & percussion
“is there something about this music, flush with heightened beauty and transcendence, that speaks tellingly to our times? On the strength of Volant, one senses a resounding yes.”
★★★★ ½ Dingo Jazz Magazine (AUS)
“…his invention, execution and originality is exceptional”
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine (UK)
★★★★ ½ The Australian (AUS)
★★★★ ½ Fine Music Magazine (AUS)
★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)
★★★★ Sputnik Music (USA)
Sophomore album early 2026
Volant has bloomed from a long-standing curiosity of the beauty and intricacy of birds – both in their song and movement, and as enduring symbols of freedom.
Led by acclaimed saxophonist Matthew Ottignon, the Sydney quartet features pianist Lauren Tsamouras, bassist Hannah James, and drummer Hayley Chan.
Ottignon dug deep, burrowing into a brand of spiritual jazz rooted in the music of John and Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders. “This music is an echo of all the sounds that have resonated with me past and present.”
With the release of their debut album (Earshift Music, 2024), Volant’s sound resonated internationally. The album received soaring 4 and 5-star reviews in The Age, Jazzwise (UK), Dingo Jazz Magazine, and the Sydney Morning Herald, and was named Best of Jazz Bandcamp (August), as well as a Feature Album on ABC Jazz and Eastside Radio.
“His current quartet has now adopted Volant [meaning ‘to fly’] as a band name, and it’s the perfect moniker for an outfit that can glide and soar as naturally as a flock of birds,” wrote Jessica Nicholas in The Age. John Shand of the Sydney Morning Herald adds, “the impression of flight is not observed, but is experienced and exhilarating.”
Lauren Tsamouras
Hayley Chan
Hannah James
Resonance
AUSTRALIA
Andrea Keller co-leader, composer, piano
Sandy Evans co-leader, composer, saxophones
Kristin Berardi voice
Jenny Barnes voice
Four world-renowned female improviser / composers harness the resonance of their collective musical voices to shatter the glass ceiling
“While there were moments of propulsion and intensity, the overall mood of the evening was one of intimacy, restraint and – yes – resonance.”
★★★★ The Age (AUS)
Debut album out early 2026
Touring EU/UK August/September 2026
In this new collaboration two of Australia’s finest musicians, Sandy Evans and Andrea Keller, are joined by exceptional vocalists Kristin Berardi and Jenny Barnes. Sandy and Andrea are distinguished for their profound music and roles as leaders within contemporary jazz. Kristin is a brilliant, internationally renowned Australian jazz singer currently based in Switzerland. Jenny is an extraordinary vocalist whose unique practice explores findings from her deep study of linguistics in improvisatory contexts.
Resonance is inspired by their shared experiences striving to be prolific, creative musicians while juggling multiple roles – caring for partners, children, aging parents and community. The suite aims to resonate with the challenges, demands, and glass ceilings faced by mid-career and elder women, especially within the male-dominated jazz scene, and a society that falls short of recognising and addressing these issues effectively.
The texts include 3 new works by Michele Morgan, Hazel Smith and Andrea Keller and settings of poems by Sara Teasdale, Mary Oliver and Jeannie Greensfelder.
‘Each piece contained a structured section where Berardi interpreted the lyrics, her gorgeously expressive voice alighting on each word with grace and tenderness, and a free section where Barnes offered an improvised response to the poem in wordless sounds and instinctive gestures.’ Jessica Nicholas, The Age
Andrea and Sandy build on their strong partnership of collaborative duo performances which has included performances at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, Zephyrs Jazz at Four Winds, and the Orange Winter Jazz Festival.
The debut performance of Resonance at the JazzLab in Melbourne in February 2025 was enthusiastically received by a capacity audience. A recording of the project will be available later in 2025.
‘While there were moments of propulsion and intensity, the overall mood of the evening was one of intimacy, restraint and – yes – resonance, with all four artists focused on listening, responding and sharing, their spirit of openness resonating with the audience in turn.’ Jessica Nicholas, The Age
This project will inspire meaningful conversations about gender, creativity, and the challenges faced by women in the arts.
Andrea Keller
Sandy Evans
Kristin Berardi
Jenny Barnes
Hilary Geddes Quartet
AUSTRALIA
Hilary Geddes guitar
Matt Harris piano
Max Alduca double bass
Alexander Inman-Hislop drums
“…amidst the creak of a double bass and the rush of brushed cymbals and Geddes comes alive. Her dizzying, inventive guitar parts leave jaws on the jazz-club floor.”
David James Young, Junkee
★★★★ Australian Jazz (AUS)
★★★★ ½ Limelight Magazine (AUS)
★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)
Hilary Geddes is an award-winning guitarist, improviser, and composer based in Eora/Sydney on Gadigal Land. A prominent voice in Australia’s jazz scene, she was named the 2021 Freedman Jazz Fellow and is a recipient of the prestigious ABC Jazz Scholarship and Jann Rutherford Memorial Award.
As bandleader of the Hilary Geddes Quartet, she released her debut album Parkside (ABC Jazz) in 2021, which was nominated for Best Jazz Album at the AIR Awards and featured as ABC Jazz’s Album of the Week. Hilary holds a First Class Honours degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has studied internationally in Germany with acclaimed guitarist Andreas Wahl. She has also worked with ARIA Ward winning artists such as Jeremy Rose (Earshift Music), Mike Nock and Jonathan Zwartz. Hilary was a 2025 finalist in the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards.
Beyond jazz, Hilary is an active force in Australia’s rock and contemporary music scenes. She performs as lead guitarist and co-composer with The Buoys (Arcadia Records/SONY), whose track ‘Lie to Me Again’ landed at number 85 in the 2021 triple j Hottest 100. The band has played major festivals including Splendour in the Grass and VIVID, and has supported international acts such as Arctic Monkeys, The Dandy Warhols, and Wolfmother. Their debut album LUSTRE (2024) reached number 7 on the ARIA Australian Album Charts, number 6 on the ARIA Vinyl Charts, and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 J AWARDS. The Buoys recently completed a sold-out UK/Europe tour, with headline shows in Paris, London, and Glasgow. Hilary will perform at Reeperbahn with The Buoys in September.
Skyline Sun
GERMANY
Jarrah Dyhan composer/guitar
Touring band
Matt Shapiro piano
Paul Hoyle Gutierrez bass guitar
Dylan Green drums
“He has successfully encapsulated a vehement blend of dance, funk, and jazz fusion within his brand of music.”
Austin Sher, We Write About Music (USA)
“…this is music to move the mind, shake the body and nourish the soul.”
Twisted Soul (UK)
New album due 2026
Music to move your body, move your mind, move your soul.
Exploding out of the colourful, ever-changing Berlin scene, Skyline Sun — the musical moniker of Australian producer and guitarist Jarrah Dhyan — reinvigorates modern jazz with a cutting-edge vision on his latest full-length. Bringing together the essences of R&B, soul, hip-hop and dance music, while casting a critical eye upon our political and social landscape, Skyline Sun gene-splices traditional and experimental sounds even as he leaps headlong into the complexities of the current cultural landscape to offer a personal, captivating perspective.
Dichotomy is a musical journey that confronts the intricate web of deceit woven by those in power. Resonating with a sense of disillusionment it challenges people to question the narratives presented by mainstream media, governments, and corporations.
While remaining solidly anchored in the nu-jazz world, Skyline Sun expands his horizons, blending irresistible rhythms, soulful melodies, and a fresh stylistic voice uniquely his own. Listeners, dancers and musers alike: Behold, embrace and rejoice.
Eishan Ensemble
AUSTRALIA
Hamed Sadeghi composer, tar
Michael Avegnicos saxophones
Max Alduca double bass
Adem Yilmaz percussion
“Sadeghi’s fresh, contemporary pieces subtly integrate regional Iranian folkloric elements with jazz harmonic concepts, while avoiding predictable fusion.”
★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)
★★★★ Songlines (UK)
★★★★ Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)
Northern Rhapsody out May ’25 on ACEL Production
Touring EU/UK August/September 2025
Blurring the lines between Persian chamber jazz and Middle Eastern jazz fusion, Eishan Ensemble’s sound defies easy categorization.
Eishan Ensemble, led by renowned Persian-Australian tar virtuoso and composer Hamed Sadeghi, is an ARIA-nominated group that fuses the contemporary and classical music traditions of both East and West.
Eishan Ensemble has released three celebrated albums to date, earning nominations for the APRA Art Music Awards and Sydney Fringe Festival Awards. Their debut album, Nim Dong (released on Art As Catharsis), serves as a musical canvas for Sadeghi’s childhood memories and stories. The follow-up, Afternoon Tea at Six (2020) was inspired by the likes of Rabih Abou-Khalil, Anouar Brahem, Kayhan Kalhor, and Ravi Shankar. Sadeghi expanded the ensembles sonic palette with daring compositions and lively instrumental interplay.
Their third album, Project Masnavi (2021), is inspired by the mystical poetry of Rumi’s Masnavi, a cornerstone of Persian literature.
Looking ahead, Eishan Ensemble is preparing to release their anticipated fourth album, Northern Rhapsody (2025). This project will explore the depth and beauty of the Australian landscape, as Sadeghi notes, “Through the universal language of music, I aim to highlight the human experience of navigating new landscapes, identities, and connections.”
Diego Pinera’s Odd Wisdom
GERMANY
Diego Piñera composer, drums, percussion
Peter Ehwald saxophone
Igor Osypov guitar
Marcel Krömker bass
2023 German Jazz Prize – Winner: Arrangement of the Year, Nominated: Composition of the Year
2021 GRAMMY Nominee – Album Odd Wisdom feat. Donny McCaslin (ACT Music)
2017 Jazz ECHO Award – Best Instrumentalist (Drums/Percussion)
Diego Pinera’s latest album Underground Roller Coaster is a rich, multi-layered masterpiece of a formidable band and a leader with his own unique style.
When Diego Piñera plays drums, a whole cosmos of rhythm opens up, we feel the pulse of South America, the dance of syncopation, the vibe of New York and Berlin. Piñera’s sense of time is characterised by the claves, the rhythmic elements of African origin that have had a lasting influence on Latin American music. He combines these almost archaic ingredients with a sense of relish and quirky beats, creating a peculiar drive that everyone has to join in with.
“Odd Wisdom” is Pinera’s first permanent band. Since its foundation, it has given numerous concerts and inspires audiences with its creative energy and musical diversity. Immerse yourself in the world of “Berlin Odd Wisdom”, where complex rhythms and cultural influences merge into a unique sound experience!
Diego Pinera 4+4
GERMANY
Diego Piñera composer, drums, percussion
Peter Ehwald saxophone
Igor Osypov guitar
Marcel Krömker bass
Semion Gurevich first violin
Alessia Laurora second violin
Elisabet Iserte López cello
Sebastian Peszko viola
2023 German Jazz Prize – Winner: Arrangement of the Year, Nominated: Composition of the Year
2021 GRAMMY Nominee – Album Odd Wisdom feat. Donny McCaslin (ACT Music)
2017 Jazz ECHO Award – Best Instrumentalist (Drums/Percussion)
The vision for Diego Piñera’s 4+4 is clear: to merge two worlds, that of notated and that of improvised music, into one whole where they flourish in equal measure.
The Berlin-based ensemble comprises of Piñera’s long-standing jazz quartet “Odd Wisdom” (Igor Osypov, Peter Ehwald, and Marcel Krömker) alongside a string quartet of the highest calibre.
Béla Bartók informs several new compositions for this project, including innovative arrangements and original works. Bartók’s hallmark harmonic language, rhythmic intricacy, and tonal adventurousness find a natural counterpart in Pinera’s compositional style.
“Thus, a synthesis of Bartók’s original with Pinera’s arrangements takes place, which at the same time connects 20th century modern music with 21st century jazz.” – Deutscher Jazzpreis
With Piñera at the helm, the ensemble navigates a dynamic, high-energy fusion of jazz, classical, and Latin American musical traditions.
The Three Seas
AUSTRALIA
Matthew Keegan saxophones
Deo Ashis Mohey dotora, esraj, guitar
Raju Das Baul khamak, vocals
Hilary Geddes guitar
Brendan Clark bass
Gaurab Chatterjee dubki, drums
“Indian singers and poets combine with the crunchy grooves to absorbing effect”
– Songlines (UK)
★★★★ The Age (AUS)
★★★★ ½ Sydney Morning Herald (AUS)
★★★★ Edinburgh Fringe Review (UK)
New album ‘Into The Night’ coming soon
The Three Seas weave together the mysticism of Baul and Himalayan folk traditions with the dynamic freedom of contemporary jazz. An enduring global collaboration that continues to evolve.
At the helm of The Three Seas is Australian composer and saxophonist, Matthew Keegan. His quest for new sonic horizons led him to India in 2009, where fate brought the ensemble together in the enchanting town of Santiniketan, West Bengal. The fusion of their distinct cultural backgrounds and immediate musical rapport birthed the energetic and uplifting musical fusion of The Three Seas.
Their releases Haveli (2013), Fathers, Sons & Brothers (2017), and Afterlife (2022) explore the intersection of their cultural influences, showcasing ancient and contemporary sounds in a genre-defying spirit.
Their fourth album due for release in 2026 was recorded at Real World Studios. Produced by Dave Rodriguez (Godtet) and Sarathy Korwar (Leaf Label, Ninja Tune), it is a hypnotic journey through shamanic chants and ancient traditions.