Karen Young and trio
Singer-composer and arranger Karen Young started her professional career with a single, folk song Garden of URSH, in 1971. In the mid 70's she discovered the Bebop vocals of the group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, which determined her never-ending passion for jazz. In the '80s, while touring with accoustic bassist Michel Donato, she expanded her musical universe singing in Classical and Sacred choirs, Early Music groups, as well as SMCQ (Société de Musique Contemporaine de Montréal). She also began exploring World Music and singing Brazilian, Haitian and Cuban, as well as Bulgarian music.
Independant before 'Indie', she created in 1991 her own record label, Les Disques URSH, and recorded 11 albums with music ranging from Jazz, World, Classical, Folk and Country. In 2015, she released her poly-choral mass, Missa Campanula, sung a cappella by double adult choir with solo quintet and treble choir, and the jazz album You make me feel so Young with guitarist Sylvain Provost and upright bassist Normand Guilbeault.
In 2017 she recorded and toured with the cd, Dreamers with her daughter Coral Egan concentrating on the ease and beauty of harmonizing their two voices in a variety of styles. And in 2018 she recorded and toured with jazz pianist Marianne Trudel the album Portraits, songs of Joni Mitchell songs in duo format. In 2019 she sang on the album Somebody Special, songs of Steve Lacy, with saxophonist Jean Derome.
She received the Oscar Peterson prize of FIJM in 2016 and a career grant from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) in 2008. She received two Felix awards; best jazz album in 1988 for Contredanse with Michel Donato and best vocal Classical album in 2008 for her album Âme, corps et désir (music of the 14th century).
Karen Young has never refused a musical challenge, having sung in more than twenty languages. Going from the impossible charts of SMCQ to children's songs you can hear her voice on more than 40 albums.
Marianne Trudel
Marianne Trudel is a multi-talented pianist, composer, improvisor, and arranger. A generous and engaging artist, a veritable powerhouse in Quebec and Canada’s instrumental music scene, Marianne Trudel has presented multiple artistic projects that not only bring her considerable skills to the fore but also her keen sense of creativity. At once energetic and passionate, her music cross-cuts a wide swath of musical interests. Her moving, spellbinding music is not easily labelled, one of its many strengths. At once sophisticated and catchy, authentic and unique.
The recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Artist of the Year from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2023 (Laval), she has performed her music in over fifteen countries. She has published 9 recordings as a leader, all having garnered rave reviews (JUNO, ADISQ, Prix Opus). She has shared the stage with many international artists, including Charles Aznavour, Chucho Valdes, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Kent Nagano), the American Composers Orchestra (New York), Les Violons du Roy, and the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal.
www.mariannatrudel.com
Pierre Tanguay
Apercussionist, composer and inveterate inventor, Pierre Tanguay’s music shows the wide range of his experience in ancient and contemporary music, jazz, and music for dance, theatre and cinema. Born in Québec City in 1956, he has devoted himself to music full-time since 1978.
He plays with some twenty established groups, such as Jean Derome et les Dangereux Zhoms, Évidence, Castor et compagnie and Karen Young, and is the founder of Strada, Midi tapant and Derome Tanguay Danse. He has produced five albums and collaborated closely on some fifty others, and has more than twenty compositions for dance (Lucie Grégoire, Andrew de Lotbinière Harwood, Irène Stamou and Francine Gagné) and a number for theatre and film (Allan Booth, Imago and Roberto Ariganello) to his credit. He regularly tours throughout Canada and Europe.