The Fiona Burnett Band

The Fiona Burnett Band is an exciting ensemble project featuring virtuosic and lyrical soloists performing contemporary popular music, jazz standards and original works. Based on Burnett’s album release Imagine on the ABC Jazz label, the band pays tribute to many well-known songs from the canon of popular music through reimagined interpretations of familiar melodies. Bringing together a dynamic line-up of Fiona Burnett (saxophone), Mina Yu (piano), Christopher Hale (bass) and Rease Cameron (Sydney) (drums), the group delivers a fresh and engaging live experience. “In concert, the transforming fire of Burnett’s imagination is like lava.” — DownBeat, USA FIONA BURNETT — SAXOPHONE Fiona Burnett has decades of experience bandleading and forging new creative ground as a performer and composer. Her first major performance was at the Sydney Domain at age 14 in a group led by renowned percussionist Greg Sheehan. At 21, she founded her groundbreaking all-female group Morgana, recognised for its trailblazing contribution to jazz and women in music. Since then, Burnett has led many projects ranging from large ensembles with orchestration and strings to quartets, trios, duos and solo performances. She has released nine albums, including four on the ABC label, and has been the recipient of numerous arts grants. She has also held a seat on the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, appointed by the Federal Arts Minister. A passionate advocate for gender equity in jazz, Burnett is also a respected music educator and currently serves as Coordinator of Secondary and VCE Music at Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School. She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, studying the works of J.S. Bach and John Coltrane, and is recognised internationally for her highly energised, virtuosic soloing and soaring, melodic improvisations on the soprano saxophone. MINA YU — PIANO Based in Melbourne, pianist and composer Mina Yu relocated from New York City after seven years of performing and studying in the USA. She has appeared at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Columbia University and New York Live Arts, and has toured internationally across South Korea, Australia, Engl