DANA LEONG TRIO
Dana Leong Trio, featuring Dana (cello/trombone), John Shannon (guitar) and DJ Icewater (turntables), is the latest incarnation of Dana’s ever-expansive compositions, bringing together an exciting electro-acoustic blend of jazz, classical and pop. The trio was a featured act at the 2011 Blue Note Jazz Festival in New York City and the Sleepless Night Miami Beach festival in November 2011, co-presented by Miami Light Project.
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MILK & JADE
Dana’s high octane hip-hop/jazz quartet MILK & JADE has received worldwide acclaim performing sold out shows at jazz festivals in US, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, Serbia, Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Macau, and China. In 2008, the band served as an American musical ambassador overseas as part of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad program produced in conjunction with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
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LIFE AFTER DARK
What would happen if you could pick your favorite artists and throw them into a flavorful pot of unexpected sights and sounds? Life After Dark provides an inside look into the creative process of artists from vastly differing musical and ethnic arenas handpicked by Dana. Inspired by artist-on-artist interviews and his passion to bring wider attention to deserving artists within his musical community, Dana transforms what began as a series of collaborative recording projects in his Harlem studio, into a one-of-a-kind live multimedia concert experience. Witness the birth of borderless collaborations sonically and through projected visuals, and discover the essence of each artist and what they bring to the mix. Commissioned by Apollo Theater.
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EDUCATION
Dana began piano studies before he was in kindergarten. By age 8, he was competing internationally on cello and trombone. He wrote his first original composition at age 16 and was the Grammy High School All Stars band winner at 17. After high school, Dana moved to New York City and entered Manhattan School of Music to study classical cello and jazz trombone on double scholarships and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Dana is a Jazz at Lincoln Center Musical Ambassador and Yamahasponsored artist. From one-hour master class to week-long residencies, Dana will deliver hands-down excellent performances and workshops to your community, and will work with you to build a unique program for your audience.
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DANA LEONG AS COMPOSER / ARRANGER / PRODUCER
In addition to writing music for and touring with his own groups, Dana is a prolific composer, arranger and producer, having recently written and premiered Bound(less), a new work for an aerial dance company Project Bandaloop at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. He was a featured guest music director in Fela! on Broadway in 2010 and is the first ever Composer-In-Residence for The Museum of Chinese in America in New York City. He is currently working on a piece inspired by works by Chinese-American artist Lee Mingwei, known for his participatory art installations.
