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Sonia Jacobsen BIO:
Composer and soprano saxophonist
Born in Australia of a Danish family, Sonia Jacobsen was trained in
classical piano as well as in soprano saxophone. She holds a musicology
degree from the Lyon University, a Gold Medal from the Chambéry
Conservatory (France), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz from the New
School/Mannes Jazz Program in NY, where she is a Faculty member since
1995, teaching music software and computer assisted composition.
Based in New York since 1992, she has recorded with and been leading or
co-leading a variety of ensembles, including the jazz string quartet No
Strings Attached, Mosaic Orchestra, and Sonia Jacobsen’s Melting Pot.
Sonia Jacobsen juggles with brio between performances and composition.
Focusing lately on her orchestral compositions for strings, she fuses
jazz, world music and classical music in her very contemporary and
rhythmic musical blend. Her compositions are gaining attention of major
foundations, press and professionals. To contact Sonia Jacobsen, e-mail:
http://home.earthlink.net/~sojay/
Awards, Prizes, Commissions:
* Work in progress: a saxophone concerto to be premiered by Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra with conductor Dennis Russell Davies.
* Winner of the 1998 ASCAP/IAJE Benny Carter Competition. The
commissioned piece for jazz orchestra and strings was premiered at the IAJE Conference January 1999 in Anaheim, CA
* Recipient of American Composers Forum's Commissioning Program Award
(1997) for Symphony for Jazz Orchestra, Strings and Percussion. To be premiered in NY fall 1999
* Commissioned by DIVA - No Man's Band for a composition for jazz orchestra to be premiered spring 1999
* Recipient of the American Music Center's Margaret Fairbank Jory Copying Assistance
Award (1998) for Chamber Concerto for strings - premiered October 1998 by Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
* Award recipient of the American Scandinavian Society's prize for artistic achievement (1997)
* Recipient of a grant from the Danish Foreign Ministry/Cultural Affairs for String Quartet N° 1 (1995)
* Winner of both jury and audience prizes in composition contest for L'Orchestre National de Jazz, France (Dec 96)
Discography:
* New York Stories - Philharmonia Virtuosi (Mediaphon-Madacy 1998)
Conductor Bernd Ruf, feat. Gregor Hübner and Richie Beirach including Sonia Jacobsen's Chamber Concerto N° 1.
* Textures of Time - No Strings Attached - Sonia Jacobsen's String
Quartet N° 1 and other works (work in progress - rec. June 1997)
* Avalanche - Sonia Jacobsen. (Sun Sounds, 1995)
* Out Of The Sand - Mina Small (Charlotte Productions, France 1997)
* America the Missing Peace - Daniel Nilsson. (Lumison Records, NY 1995)
Additional of interest:
* Producer of Dinah Vero's CD Savan (CD - Sun Sounds, 1996)
* Co-producer for Live in Grenoble - Victor Dvoskin Quartet. (CD -Thelonious, 1990)
* Musical director and producer of recording for singer Arlee Leonard (1996)
* Musical director, composer and arranger for choreographer C. J. Jonnaissant's ballet Red Ribbons, NY (1995).
* Making MIDI sound tracks/jingles for software applications (CD-ROM) (1991-92)
* Co-founder of Mosaic Orchestra (contemporary jazz/world music big band) and co-leader from 96-98.
* Founder and principal composer for No Strings Attached (jazz/new music string quartet).