Christian Tamburr is a multi-instrumentalist, accomplished on the piano and trapset as well as world and orchestral percussion. However, his true talent is exhibited on his instrument of choice, the vibraphone. Confirmed in May of 2001 when in their annual poll of collegiate musicians, Downbeat Magazine awarded him "Outstanding Solo Jazz Performer". Christian is currently the leader of the critically acclaimed Christian Tamburr Quartet, a four-piece acoustic jazz group. After a year and a half of touring around the world Christian just returned home from working as Musical Director and Pianist for Latin Vocal Legend Julio Iglesias. For the past year Christian has been under contract with Cirque du Soleil as musical director for brand new production.
Christian first started performing jazz at the age of 14, now 29 he has since had the opportunity to work with many jazz legends including, Ira Sullivan, Kenny Barron, Clark Terry, James Moody, Benny Green, Bucky Pizarelli, Kevin Mahogany, Nicolas Payton, Art Van Damm, Slide Hampton, Bob Mintzer, Milt Hilton, Dick Hyman, Bob Haggart, Mark Murphy, Eric Marienthal, Marcus Printup, and Bunky Green to name a few.
Christian has performed as a guest artist with Dave Brubeck, as a solo percussionist with Michael Feinstein, and opened for Harry Connick, Jr.
Over the past 6 years Christian and his quartet has performed at such venues as The Lincoln Center in New York City, The Blue Note, the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, the Harrington Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Jazz Festival, the Cocoa Beach Jazz Festival, and the Ravinia Jazz Residence in Chicago. In 2008 the quartet traveled to Japan for a 3-week tour performing on festivals and clubs throughout the country. In March of 2009, the Christian Tamburr Quartet was featured on the Millennium Stage at the prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.
In December of 2005 Christian and bassist Elisa Pruett were hired to play for NBA legend Michael Jordan in Charlotte, NC. While in residency at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas as a member of the Noel Friedline Quintet, Christian was hired to perform for Julia Roberts at her highly publicized, surprise birthday party in New York City in 2002. In winter of 2006, Christian’s first album “ Move” was released as a part of a Starbucks? Gift Set available around the country.
In February of 2007, Christian joined Latin vocal star Julio Iglesias performing as his featured pianist and shares as musical director. Although rooted in jazz, Christian’s ability to be diverse in the music industry has allowed him to be successful in multiple genres of performance and recording. The world tour has included stops throughout the US, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, The Dominican Republic, Portugal, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Spain, and Monaco, South Africa… just to name a few.
Christian works as a producer, arranger, and writer for many groups of all styles around the country. Famed magicians Penn and Teller hired Christian to write and teach them music for their stage show in Las Vegas. Off the stage, Christian also works as a clinician, teaching high school and college students all around the country. Clinics vary from working with jazz big bands, small groups, and improvisation, to percussion technique for mallets in the concert or marching idiom. Christian is endorsed by Receptor Muse, Pro-mark sticks and mallets, and plays exclusively Musser vibraphones.
Takana Miyamoto
Born in Japan, Takana Miyamoto began playing the keyboard at age 4, and decided to become a composer when she was 14, choosing music over the visual arts career. She left Japan at age 19 to study in the US, with the aspiration of becoming a film composer. Accepted to Berklee College of Music with an honorary scholarship, Takana received several awards for her performance and composition talents from Berklee, and graduated as an honor student with a dual degree in Film Scoring and Jazz Composition. She won first place in the Randy Edman Jazz Piano Competition in 1998, and moved to New York City where she performed with renowned musicians, and began touring and recording internationally. In 2001, she was accepted as a U.S. permanent resident based on her musical talent (category EB-1), and moved to Atlanta where she was given the "Rising Star" recognition from the International Jazz Society. Women Looking Ahead Inc. (www.womenlookingahead.com) selected Takana to be one of "Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Woman" as a composer, and they featured her in their magazine as "an extraordinary talent". In 2004 She graduated from Georgia State University with a master's degree in music.
Years of classical training are apparent in her piano sound, and she has an unusual sense of telling a story in her improvisation and composition. Her compositions are visual and emotional, coming from her film music study. She has produced four albums as a leader featuring her original compositions. Her current concert projects are; "Takana Miyamoto Trio" featuring Takana's Original compositions, "Piano Tales- Solo Piano concert" (calming, peaceful solo piano music from her "Piano Tales" CD), "Healing Music" and "Japanese Music". She also gives music workshops and is involved in educational activities.
Since 1998, Takana has recorded and toured with the five-time Grammy nominated vocalist, Nnenna Freelon. Takana was the pianist, arranger and the musical director for Freelon's two-time Grammy nominated "Soulcall" and "Live at the Kennedy Center" albums. With Freelon, Takana has performed at the events for/with President Bush, Aretha Franklin, Bill Cosby, Tony Bennett, George Benson and others. In 2003, Takana joined the risk-taking vocalist Rene Marie's group, and she is featured on Marie's new album of 2004. As a versatile musician, Takana continues to record/perform with the top Atlanta artists such as two-time Grammy nominee Russell Gunn (Hip Hop/ Jazz Trumpeter), R&B vocalist Dionne Farris (from Arrested Development), Khari Cabral's Soul Bossa Nova group "Jiva", house music "Ananda Project", and Kevin Mahogany (Jazz vocalist) to list a few.
She travels to Japan every year, bringing special guest musicians from the US to play at her hometown festival, clubs and concert venues. She is one of few Japanese people accepted as a US permanent resident based on musical talent and success in the music field.
(Official website:
takana.net)