Time: 19:30-22:30, Tuesday 26 May 2009
Artists: Nathaniel Gao Jazz Quartet, China/ Yannick Rieu: Spectrum 4, Canada/ Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Cello/Vocal, Britain + GUEST
Venue: Beijing Nine Gates Jazz Festival 2009, Forbidden City Concert Hall, Zhongshan Park, Beijing
Ticket price: RMB 380, 280, 180, 120, 90, 60, 30
Ticket hotline: +86 010-65598285, 65598306   
http://www.ninegate.com.cn

Ayanna Witter-Johnson

Unique and captivating, Ayanna Witter-Johnson is a composer, jazz vocalist, cellist and pianist who has developed musically from a diverse background of mixed cultures.  Her compositional versatility includes writing for symphony orchestra, chamber ensembles, big bands, string quartets and choirs as well as songs, soundscapes and pieces for solo instruments and tape, across a range of styles including jazz, classical, contemporary, R&B, soul, reggae and electro-acoustic.

Witter-Johnson began playing the piano at an early age, later taking up the ‘cello during her teenage years and recently graduated with a First Class Degree and the Vivian Trindl Outreach Prize for the Most Innovative Professional Skills Project from Trinity College of Music, London where she studied composition with Alwynne Pritchard and classical ‘cello with David Kennedy.  She has studied composition with John A. Thomas, Errollyn Wallen, Andrew Poppy, arranging with Paul Bartholomew and orchestration with Stephen Montague and classical ‘cello with Sue Sutherley (London Philharmonic Orchestra).  Throughout 2008 Ayanna was a participant in the London Symphony Orchestra’s Discovery Panufnik Young Composers Scheme which is designed to facilitate the development of orchestral writing for talented young composers and  was also an Emerging Artist in Residence (EAR) at London’s Southbank Centre.  In 2009 she will commence studies at the Manhattan School of Music.

Witter-Johnson has worked with groundbreaking composer Nitin Sawhney on his Aftershock project for the re-opening of the Royal Elizabeth Hall and with award winning film composer Jocelyn Pook preparing music for her ensemble.  She is a regular collaborator of Jason Yarde’s and has worked on three of his most recent large scale projects: as a performer in the ‘B-Trade’ ensemble; the assistant orchestrator on the landmark Urban Classic project which brought together leading UK Grime artists and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Charles Hazlewood and as arranger and orchestrator for Belief!, a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra and legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela.  

Continually developing as a musician and composer of extraordinary versatility, Witter-Johnson made her debut at the London Jazz Festival in 2008 opening for Intercontinental – the project that features jazz drumming legend Jack DeJohnette and the Queen of South African jazz Sibongile Khumalo and in 2009 she continued, to much acclaim, her association as vocalist, cellist and featured artist with Courtney Pine’s Afropeans; Jazz Warriors.

Her radio credits include original material on Courtney Pine’s Jazz Crusade - BBC Radio 3, In Tune - BBC Radio 2 and the BBC Asian Network.  Witter-Johnson was also invited to feature as a cellist and musical arranger for the BBC documentary Little Angels. In 2007 she was commissioned by the Liverpool Lighthouse to compose a choral piece for young vocalists in the Merseyside area to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act and she has also been commissioned to compose the soundtrack for the feature length film Disoriented Generation.

Witter-Johnson also has experience as a Compositional Workshop Leader, working alongside Jackie Walduck for the Creative Partnerships Scheme in association with the ‘Raising the Roof’ programme for a school in the London Borough of Lewisham.  This has led to managing her current project Sojourner Truth’s Story in connection with Kori Arts working towards a performance at the National Portrait Gallery in 2008. Witter-Johnson is also a member of the National Youth Theatre and Youth Forum of the National Portrait Gallery.

Press quotes:

“...one of our rising stars of the future.”  Courtney Pine

“What a VOCALIST!”   Burnt Progress Records

“There is much of beauty, especially in colour, texture (and) a certain spiritual quality throughout.”   Dominic Murcott on Witter-Johnson’s 7-piece band

“With cello and piano at her disposal as well as a strong, vibrant flexible voice, Ayanna Witter-Johnson has a great deal going for her… She has talent in abundance plus an engaging stage manner, so shouldn’t have to struggle too hard to establish herself in a somewhat overcrowded scene.  Her original material is individual enough to be striking and her solo (cello-backed) visit to the...Police anthem ‘Roxanne’ hints at a refreshingly singular attitude to ‘covers’.   Vortex Review

For more information:
www.myspace.com/ayannawitterjohnson
www.serious.org.uk

Discography:
Hold the Second Hand, Hugo Shepherd (2006)
Blues Child, Natascha Eleonore (2007)
I am a man from Lewisham, Billy Jenkins (Babel, 2007)
Witter –Johnson’s debut album is due for release in 2009.

Beijing NineGates Jazz Festival, 2009
18 Bands/Vocal in 6 Days

22 May, FRIDAY
19:30-21:45Emil de Waal Trio, Denmark/ Golden Buddha Jazz Unit, China

23 May, SATURDAY
14:00-16:00Liu Yue Trio, China/ Felician Honsig-Erlenburg, Austria
19:30-21:45Bandapart Trio, Denmark/ Thärichens Tentett, Germany

24 May SUNDAY
14:00-16:00Susanna Lindeborg's Mwendo Dawa Jazz Band, Sweden/ The Isradixie Band, Israel
19:30-21:45LiuYuan Jazz Band, China/ Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio, Poland

25 May Monday
19:30-21:45Greg Houben Trio, Belgium/ Christoph Auer Jazz Band, Austria

26 May Tuesday
19:30-22:30Nathaniel Gao Jazz Quartet, China/ Yannick Rieu: Spectrum 4, Canada/ Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Cello/Vocal, Britain + GUEST

27 May Wednesday
19:30-22:30Moreno Donadel Trio, China/Italy + GUEST: SHUNZA(USA)/MOTIF Jazz Band, Norway/ Ranee Lee Group, Canada