vana (pianist Werner "Vana" Gierig)
news ... Vana's
CD a new
day will be
re-released world-wide in 2008
(Feb. in Europe, May in US), by Challenge Records. This
follows the live
CD, featuring Gene
Jackson (drums), Sean Conly (bass), Vinicius Barros (percussion) and special
guests.
> Paris, Rome, Brazil, Argentina.....Vana is touring with his projects (for details, click on concerts).
Vana Trio, Ivrea Jazz Festival, Italy (with Marcus
McLaurine, bass, and Alvester Garnett, drums)
Vana recently...
> was the featured artist at The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's annual Spring Fundraiser in Manhattan, sponsored by Ports1961, and Ivanka Trump.
> produced,
arranged and
recorded for
guitarist/vocalist Mark Lambert's upcoming release
Under My Skin.
> co-produced, recorded,
and arranged
-
incl. orchestral string arrangements - on
Ute Lemper's CD released
in Feb.
'08.
> had his compostiion and recording of An Awakening Thought, chosen by Showtime for its TV series The L Word (aired Sunday, Feb. 11th '07, season IV).
> performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center (The Allen Room) in February, with Ute Lemper. With his own quartet, he had a sold out performance in March at the German Consulate's Performance Space, featuring Adam Rogers (gtr), Sean Conly (bs) and Clarence Penn (dr), incl. guest appearances by Pauline Kim (violin) & Christine Kim (cello).
> appeared on BR German public Television's Jazz Oder Nie, which broadcast the entire 90 min. festival performance of the Vana Trio plus Brazilian Percussion. Thanks so much to all for the moving messages you sent in response to this broadcast!
> recorded
on the 2006
NPR Christmas CD An
NPR Jazz Christmas, with Marian McPartland & Friends.
The original composition The Moon on Christmas Eve was
co-written by Kathryn
Williams & Vana
>
> performed with his trio
at the Bosendorfer
Jazz Piano Series at the Design Center in New
York City.
> performed
the opening concert of a special jazz
piano series in New York City for which concert
proceeds are donated to the New
Orleans Musicians Clinic
> sold out the Blue Note Jazz Club
in New York with his Vana Trio plus Brazilian Percussion.
> was presented by legendary bassist Eddie
Gomez as one of three outstanding next generation pianists in a
special 3-night presentation at the Iridium Jazz Club
in New York.
previous news:
> received the National Performance Activity Award from SESAC on Oct. 25th 2004, for his composition Healing In Foreign Lands on a #1 Album, Paganini: After A Dream, by Regina Carter, which he also co-produced and musical directed. Other recipients
included Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen, Tom Harrell, Jason Moran, Stefon
Harris a.o.
> concluded an international tour with the critically acclaimed Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
> wrote a solo piano composition for the Sex & The City (HBO) special season finale on with Mikhail Baryshnikov. His piece was written for the intimate late night dinner scene Sarah Jessica Parker has with Mr. Baryshnikov. Besides the original piece, the episode contains various other excerpts with
Vana playing piano.
> won the Outstanding Achievement In Songwriting Award in the Great American Song Contest together with songwriter Kathryn Williams, for their jointly written and co-produced original christmas jazz song entitled 'Tis the Season of the Year. It was recorded by vocalist Melissa Walker and the Vana Trio and received major
airplay on US & international jazz radio.
> was named a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) with his composition Low Features from his CD A New Day. There were 11,000 entries worldwide. The judges for jazz were Pat Metheny,
Arif Mardin and Bruce Lundvall.
> world premier of his piece Morning Cadence, commissioned by the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan State University in Lansing, MI. It is a flamenco inspired piece
mixed with classical and jazz elements and was performed by Regina Carter,
Alvester Garnett, Chris Lightcap, Mayra Casales and Vana.
> performed at Lincoln Center with the Regina Carter Quintet plus string orchestra. Regina was allowed again
to perform on Paganini's world famous Guarneri violin, an Italian national treasure called the "cannon" for its natural sound volume. This time the violin was brought to New York from
Italy, under tight security (only the second time in its history). The
concert was sold out and they received 2 standing ovations from an enthralled audience. As executive producer, Vana was deeply involved in the vision and realization of the idea for Regina
to become the first non-classical musician allowed to perform and record
on Paganini's violin. He also is co-producer, artistic musical director, composer and pianist on the Verve/Universal recording called Paganini: After a Dream (Verve/Universal – April ’03) that was the result of their year-long effort.
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