My Favorite Songs - Lungau Big Band featuring Simone Kopmajer

My Favorite Songs
Lungau Big Band feat. Simone Kopmajer

Rich in variety and with great music, the Lungau Big Band is entering its forty-third year! It is extremely rare for a jazz orchestra to exist for such a long time, continuously presenting interesting programs, showcasing renowned soloists from around the world, and inviting composers to write new music. Thus, the Lungau Big Band has developed into one of the most active and remarkable jazz ensembles in the country, delighting not only the audience with its alternating thematic focuses but also keeping itself engaged with a wide range of musical challenges in an infectious mood of play. The list of past guests and all the wonderful memories associated with them is long. A few notable names include: Hubert von Goisern, Nils Landgren, Josh 'Socalled' Dolgin, Randy Brecker, Gunhild Carling, Bobby Shew, Angela Tröndle, James Morrison, Jiggs Whigham, Tony Momrelle, Bob Mintzer, Michael Abene...

In 2003, Simone Kopmajer was awarded the New York Scholarship of the Hans Koller Prize and shortly thereafter went to the USA, where she recorded her first album at the age of 21; the album "Moonlight Serenade," produced by Todd Barkan, became a success in Japan. She recorded six more albums for the Japanese Venus label, including collaborations with George Mraz, Houston Person, and Aaron Heick. The album "Nothing’s Gonna Change," released in 2011, also made her known in Thailand, where she was the main attraction at the Chiang Mai Jazz Festival. She has toured North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Europe. Twice, Austria's jazz ambassador Simone Kopmajer has been nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in the Jazz/World/Blues category.

Simone impressively answers the question of why she is where she is at every performance. She shows why she is considered one of the exceptional talents in the Austrian music scene and has now gained high international renown. Her music expresses immense joy in playing combined with extraordinary musical abilities; it is music that literally breathes and spreads a mood, inviting intense listening and allowing the soul to unwind. Simply beautiful. In the current program, the Lungau Big Band, along with Simone Kopmajer, presents both original compositions and classics from the Great American Songbook in new arrangements.