Lena Seikaly

LENA SEIKALY is a fresh new voice on the national jazz scene from Washington D.C. Having received compliments and praise from the likes of Christian McBride, Robert Glasper, Roberta Gambarini and Lionel Loueke, Lena’s sound is directly inspired by the great jazz vocalists, mixed with an interpretive ingenuity reminiscent of legendary improvisers Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter, while peppering influence from her Mediterranean heritage. In May of 2007, she was a featured vocalist at the annual Sacramento Traditional Jazz Jubilee with the New Orleans Ale Stars and the Capital Focus Jazz Band, earning her a front page article in the Mississippi Rag (the world’s leading traditional jazz publication). In 2006, she and her D.C.-based band The Sanga Equation traveled to Paris and Bretagne, France for a month-long tour, consisting of 12 shows. Later the same year, she was invited out as a guest artist to California’s most esteemed traditional jazz venue, The Dante Club, as part of the STJS’ monthly “Jazz Sunday” event. In 2005, Lena worked closely with McBride and his band, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and Loren Schoenberg at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass program in Colorado, which she attended with the Capital Focus Jazz Band. In 2004, she performed with the same band at the esteemed North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Holland. In her career thus far, she has had the pleasure of singing with many contemporary jazz greats, including Christian McBride, Raul Mascarenhas, Eddie Locke, Benito Gonzalez, and others.

Lena is a regular vocalist for six bands in the D.C. area, including her own trio and quartet. She has appeared numerous times at local festivals including the East Coast Jazz Festival and Crystal City Jazz Festivals, and established venues such as Blues Alley, Twins Jazz, Smithsonian Jazz Cafe, Smithsonian Sculpture Garden, The Atlas Theater, Columbia Station, U-topia, Bossa Bistro, Busboys & Poets, Bohemian Caverns, Axis Bar & Grille, Col. Brook’s Tavern, the Sulgrave Club, Glen Echo Park, Normandie Farms, Tony & Joe’s Restaurant, and many others.

Lena is also an accomplished, classically-trained mezzo soprano. She has studied for the past four years from world-renowned bass-baritone Francois Loup at the University of Maryland School of Music. There, she has been a featured soloist in several choral, orchestral and solo performances including Vivaldi's “Gloria” (Alto), Handel's “Dixit Dominus” (alto), Kodaly's “Missa Brevis” (alto), Debussy's “Trois Chansons” (mezzo), and several Bach Cantatas (alto). She is a member and section leader of the prestigious UMD Chamber Singers, with whom she was a featured soloist at the Eistedfodd International Music Competition in Wales, 2007. Earlier that year, Lena received second place at the regional level for the National Association for Teachers of Singing annual vocal excellence award. In February of 2008, she was a participant in a UMD master class with one of America's most legendary mezzo-sopranos, Marilyn Horne. In April 2008, Lena delivered a voice recital as a culmination of her studies to an audience of over 200 people.

Most recently, Lena was named the D.C. chapter winner of the Eleanor Searle Whitney McCollum Vocal Award, sponsored by the National Society of Arts & Letters (Mar. 2008). She then went on to win fifth place�”the “Roberta Peters Award,” in honor of the legendary soprano�”at the national level of the competition in May, which was adjudicated by world-renowned baritone Nathan Gunn, maestro Joel Revzen, and director of MET Council auditions Gayletha Nichols

Professionally, Lena has been a choir member with the Schola Cantorum at Washington D.C.'s historic Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, which specializes in early sacred music. She formerly served, and now again serves as the alto soloist and section leader at Westmoreland Congregational Church in Bethesda, Maryland. Lena is also a voice teacher at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD.

Lena also composes and arranges in various styles of jazz. The summer of 2008 has seen her busily writing and arranging for her first album, due December of the same year. On the side, she is an avid artist with a specialty in portraits. She hopes to possibly pursue a graduate degree in classical voice in the next few years, and ultimately move to New York City to make a name for herself in the esteemed jazz and classical communities there.

Awards:

5th Place Winner - 2008 NSAL National Voice Competition--May 2008

Winner - 2008 NSAL Eleanor Searle Whitney McCollum Vocal Award (D.C. Chapter)--Mar. 2008

2nd Place - National Association for Teachers of Singing 2007 Regional Vocal Competition--Mar. 2007