Soka Performing Arts Center Presents Renee Rosnes Trio

(Aliso Viejo, CA, December 10, 2019) – Soka Performing Arts Center presents the Renee Rosnes Trio on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3pm. Considered one of the premier jazz pianists and composers of her generation, Rosnes has recorded 17 albums as a leader and worked with many of the great jazz masters. She is a true jazz monster with the killer combination of her beautiful, complex and virtuoso writing, and her brilliant, passionate and technically astounding playing. The trio includes Renee Rosnes, piano; Peter Washington, bass; & Lewis Nash, drums

Tickets are on sale now and start at $35-$45. They are available for purchase online at performingarts.soka.edu, at the Box Office at 1 University Drive in Aliso Viejo or by calling 949. 490.4278.

About Renee Rosnes, piano
Renee Rosnes is one of the premier jazz pianists and composers of her generation. Upon moving to New York City from Vancouver, she quickly established a reputation of high regard, touring and recording with such masters as Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Hutcherson. She was a charter member of the all-star ensemble, the SFJAZZ Collective, with whom she toured for six years. As a leader, Ms. Rosnes has released 17 acclaimed recordings. In 2016, Written in the Rocks (Smoke Sessions) was named one of ten Best Jazz Albums of the Year by The Chicago Tribune, one of the Best Albums in all genres of music by The Nation, and was awarded a 2017 Canadian Juno (her fifth Juno award).

JazzTimes wrote, “Ms. Rosnes delivers conceptual heft, suspenseful compositions and mesmerizing performances,” and DownBeat praised it as “an exceptional achievement” stating “Rosnes is a virtuoso composer.” Renee is also the music director for ARTEMIS, a new international all-star band featuring the vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, clarinetist Anat Cohen, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Allison Miller. Rosnes is married to jazz pianist Bill Charlap, and the two often perform in a two-piano setting. The duo was featured on four tracks from the 2015 Grammy award winning album, Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap: The Silver Lining.

About Peter Washington, bass
Peter Washington was born in Los Angeles in 1964. He began playing classical bass in his Junior High School orchestra, and played a season with the Westchester Community Symphony at age 14. Around that time he also started playing electric bass and guitar with Rock bands. Between 1983 and 1986, Peter attended the University of California in Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature.

Peter performed three seasons with the University of California Symphony Orchestra and two with the San Francisco Youth Symphony, but during his Berkeley years he had developed a growing interest in Jazz music: he started freelancing around the San Francisco Bay area with John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Frank Morgan, Ernestine Anderson, Chris Connor and other local celebrities.

About Lewis Nash, drums
Rhythm Is My Business is the title of his debut recording as a leader, and rhythm is a booming business as far as Lewis Nash is concerned. He is the drummer of choice for an incredible array of artists - from the masters of the music to the hottest young players of today - and is equally in demand as a clinician and educator.

In 1981, Nash moved to New York City and joined the trio of the great jazz vocalist Betty Carter. For nearly four years, he toured internationally with Ms. Carter. He is featured on three of her recordings, including the Grammy winning Look What I Got. World-renowned bassist Ron Carter hired Nash in 1984. As a member Carter’s nonet, quintet and quartet, Nash toured extensively and is featured on several of the bassist’s recordings.

Currently, while he continues to perform and record with a wide variety of artists, Nash leads several of his own exciting groups, from duo to septet. Outside of his many touring and recording accomplishments, thanks to the sponsorship of Sonor drums, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads and Regal Tip drumsticks, Lewis has become a sought after jazz educator. His lectures, clinics and workshops are as much in demand as his bandstand and studio work.

About Soka Performing Arts Center

Now is in its ninth season of presenting the best of live performances on its extraordinary stage, Soka Performing Arts Center, located on the campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, is under the new leadership of General Manager Renee Bodie. The 1,000-seat concert hall features world-class acoustics designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, acoustic designer of noted performance venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

Designed to truly reflect the university’s commitment to sustainability, the concert hall and adjacent Maathai Hall (featuring a black box theatre and dance studio) have been built to Gold LEED standards and feature vegetated green roofs. Photo voltaic cells on the Soka Performing Arts Center roof generate approximately 15% of the facility’s electrical needs.   

Soka University of America is a private, non-profit, four-year liberal arts college and graduate program. The university is open to top students of all nationalities and beliefs and was founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights, and the sanctity of life. For more information, please visit soka.edu.

RENEE ROSNES TRIO
Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3PM

Renee Rosnes, piano
Peter Washington, bass
Lewis Nash, drums

Event URL:                  http://bit.ly/2YiZtwO  

Regular Tickets:          $35/$45         
Discount Tickets:        Senior, Student and Active Military: $31.50/$40.50

In Person:                   1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Online:                        performingarts.soka.edu
Phone:                        949.480.4ART (4278)

All information is accurate at the time of printing but is subject to change.

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