Band Bios

Fiona Joy performance options:

 

Fiona Joy – SOLO

Fiona Joy & The Blue Dream Ensemble (up to 5 players)

 

Genre:Contemporary Instrumental

Number of players:1-5 depending on budget.

Basic Requirements:No piano (Grand only) no concert.  Vocal mic at piano and piano mic’d depending on room size.

Elevator pitch: Fiona Joy Hawkins is an Australian pianist, singer and composer. An Australian ARIA Finalist discovered by Will Ackerman (Founder of Windham HIll Records), she performs as a solo pianist/singer with her Two Grand I'm Yours USA Tour (with Trysette) or with the Blue Dream Ensemble in Australia.

 

Player Bios:  Fiona Joy

Fiona Joy’s evocative piano and ethereal vocals have earned her the internationally voted radio ZMR award for Best Instrumental Piano album 1031.  An ARIA Finalist in 2008, Fiona Joy was also Runner up for Best Instrumental Song in the International Acoustic Music Awards.  After touring extensively in the US and Australia, Fiona earned a nomination along with Pete Seeger for Best LIVE Performance album in the Independent Music Awards.

  

Concert reviewer Micheal Diamond wrote“What I appreciated most was being able to listen AND watch Fiona at the piano. The passion and elegance in her performance was breathtaking as her flawless technique combined with pure emotional expression.”Throckmorton Theatre San Francisco Nov 201

One of the brightest lights in the contemporary instrumental genre, Fiona Joy is poised to move into stardom.”Will Ackerman, Founder of Windham Hill Records

With over 50 awards around the world, Fiona has worked with T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, Dire Straits), Jeff Haynes (Pat Metheny), Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), Heather Rankin, Charlie Bisharat (Shadowfax) and  Rebecca Daniel (ACO) plus many others.

“Blue Dreamrepresents the very best of this music genre and follows in the great tradition of artists such as George Winston. This beautifully crafted album has already been hailed in the US as a work of pure genius”.  ABC Music Australia

 

Rebecca Daniel

Rebecca started singing professionally at the age of 9, and at 12 was the first child to ever perform the role of “Flora” in Nicholas Hytner’s production for Kent Opera of “The Turn of the Screw” by Benjamin Britten.  She then sang madrigals with the Tudor Consort of Rochester Cathedral before attending the Royal Academy of Music in London to study with Emanuel Hurwitz and the Amadeus String Quartet, she also performed chamber music throughout the UK. 

 

After being invited to join the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Rebecca discovered the joys of Musical Theatre and was the orchestra leader for Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast and The Sound of Music; she played in West Side Story and A Little Night Music. 

 

She has performed, toured and recorded with some extraordinary musicians including John Denver, Bread, John Farnham, INXS, Anthony Warlow, Shirley Bassey and Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton-John, Men at Work,  Jenny Morris, Glenn Close and many more; and has also recorded movie soundtracks such as Strictly Ballroom and Moulin Rouge. Currently Rebecca is a member of Blue Dream with Fiona Joy .

 

Dr John Napier – Cello

John has a doctorate in Musicology from UNSW, where he lectures full time.  His performing life is extremely varied and has included classical, rock and pop gigs and recordings.  He is especially known for his work with the institute of Eastern Music and his improvisations with performers of traditional Indian Music.  His book “They Sing the weddings of God”, about beggar-musicians in India was published in 2013.  John has performed in the U.S, Italy, Japan and India and has appeared with various groups such as The Mambologists, Southern Crossings, The One Extra Dance Company, and with Robyn Archer at the Sydney Opera House and now with Fiona Joy and the Blue Dream Ensemble.

 

Bukhu

A Mongolian Throat singer and Horse Fiddler who has amazed audiences  all over the world including his tours with the Bolishoi Theatre, the Philharmonic Orchestras of Berlin, Vienna and the Japanese Palace. Music and Throat Singing is extremely significant to Mongolian culture and has a deep shamanistic root that displays a connection with the environment and allows Mongolians to use song to communicate historical stories and folk legends to invoke heightened meditative states through chant.  His talents also earned awards in international competitions including the Traditional Asian Musical Festival in Russia and a recent performance with Blue Dream earned Bukhu a standing ovation from a stunned Australian Sydney audience.

 

Opener and Percussion for Blue Dream Ensemble:

James Englund:  James Englund is a Sydney born singer/songwriter and producer who has toured with John Butler, played all over Australia and scored well known Aussie TV shows.  James plays many instruments but is best known for his vocals and songwriting.   “Sting meets Bruce Hornsby with a touch of Jeff Buckley”:  Cookie Marenco Blue Coast Records San Francisco.

 

** Other Players incl:  Sherry Finzer (flute), Paul Jarman (wind/percussion) Jeff Haynes percussion(Pat Metheny), Dave Ellis double bass(Tommy Tycho), Heather Rankin (The Rankin Family).