Lisa Young AU

Lisa Young is well known to World and Jazz Music listeners as a creative vocal stylist and improviser, incorporating Indian and African elements in her work. A longtime student of maestro Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani in Chennai, India, Lisa specializes in “Konnakol” - South Indian vocal percussion. She has studied South Indian music since 1994, both in Australia and in India. In 2010 she received the Monash-Pratt Post Graduate Award for her PhD Music Performance candidature at Monash University.

Lisa Young is well known to World and Jazz Music listeners as a creative vocal stylist and improviser, incorporating Indian and African elements in her work. A longtime student of maestro Guru Kaaraikkudi Mani in Chennai, India, Lisa specializes in “Konnakol” - South Indian vocal percussion. She has studied South Indian music since 1994, both in Australia and in India. In 2010 she received the Monash-Pratt Post Graduate Award for her PhD Music Performance candidature at Monash University.

Lisa Young Quartet's album “Grace” won the prestigious “Bell award” for “Best Australian Vocal Jazz Album” in 2007. Following that, In 2008, Young received an Australia Council Project Fellowship enabling her to further her study in India and compose new vocal works.

Her quartet premiered their new song cycle “The Eternal Pulse” at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in 2011, releasing the CD in 2012 In Australia and in 2013 Worldwide. The album was a finalist in 2012 Bell Awards Best Australian Vocal Album. It features compositions by Young in collaboration with bassist Ben Robertson and K. Mani containing passages of Konnakol and rhythmic recitations, layering Indian elements, rhythmic textures and ensemble dialogue, in an evocative journey of sound and song.

Lisa is a founding member of all female vocal group Coco’s Lunch. Her composition “Thulele Mama Ya” won “Best Folk/World Song” in the prestigious Contemporary A cappella Recording Awards in the USA. Coco’s Lunch has recorded 6 CDs of original music receiving 2 ARIA nominations, and toured extensively, performing to packed houses throughout the world.

Renowned as a passionate and engaging workshop leader, Young’s workshops use chants, songs, vocal percussion, and simple percussion parts to inspire singers to explore rhythm, harmony and improvisation. She works with song form, wordless pieces, and movement encouraging a great love of rhythm and using the voice as a colorful instrument.

Choirs throughout the world perform Young’s works. She has recently composed commissioned music for the Australian Voices Choir named 'Other Plans’, which was performed throughout their recent European and Australian tour. She composed children’s songs for the television show “Playhouse Disney” (Australia, Asia, Playhouse Disney Channel), as well as theme songs/ soundtracks for ‘Conversations with Women Writers’ screened on SBS, ABC (Australia) and Worldwide, and 2012 short film “Happy Birthday” (premiered at Cannes Film Festival May 2013).

Young serves as a vocal teacher at the Victorian College Of Arts, Melbourne, Australia.

Lisa Young has performed world-wide, amongst others in: Melbourne International Jazz Festival, MELBOURNE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL - Opening concert @ BMW Edge, Borneo Jazz Festival, POLYFOLLIA 4TH WORLD VOCAL SHOWCASE (FRANCE), SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE: Utzon Room Music Series Sellout concerts, TELSTRA DOME - Days In The Dioceses, 7th INTERNATIONAL TAIPEI CHORAL FESTIVAL, Festival Vancouver (CANADA), Voicemania @ Porgy & Bess (Austria), THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT, ‘One Year to the Olympics Celebrations’ at Australian High Commissions in Singapore, Laos.

Awards

2003 - Best "Folk/World" song for "Thulele Mama Ya" (with Coco's Lunch) in the Contemporary Acappella Recording Awards, USA. 2003 - Coco's Lunch album "A Whole New Way of Getting Dressed' finalist in Best Folk/World Album, CARA awards USA. 2007 - "Grace" album awarded Best Australian Vocal Album 2007, in the Bell Awards 2007 - Coco's Lunch "Blueprint" ARIA Award nomination. 2008 - Australia Council Project Fellowship for further her study in India and to compose new works. 2010 - Awarded the Monash-Pratt Post Graduate Award for her PhD Music Performance candidature at Monash University. 2012 - "The Eternal Pulse" finalist in the Bell Awards for "Best Australian Vocal Album 2012".