At age 26, Vancouver based trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg has been performing on stage for over 20 years. Originally from Chilliwack, BC, Bria has represented Canada as a bandleader and guest artist all over North America, Europe, China and Japan. Best known for her knowledge of classic jazz and pursuit of world-wide fun, she is creating a style all her own rooted in swampy New Orleans and blues with swing, pop and world music influences.
In July of 2009 she was one of four performers selected for an International Young Artists’ Showcase at the Jazz a Juan Festival in Antibes, France. She has been the recipient of the CBC Jazz Award of Merit (2006), and the Kobe Jazz Street Friendship Award given at the Breda Jazz Festival in Holland in 2007. Early in 2008 Bria was a guest on Riverwalk Jazz with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band representing the “Next Generation of Jazz”. Most recently Bria was a featured performer in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympic Olympic Games alongside Michael Kaeshammer and Canadian Icon Dal Richards.
She is an active advocate for young musicians, working as a teacher/alumni at the Sacramento Jazz Camp and Camp Heebie Jeebies in Port Angeles, as well as programming, narrating and performing educational school shows for students ranging from Kingergarten to College. Intent on giving back, she is also active on the Board of Directors for the annual Chilliwack Jazz Festival. |
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