Liz Player is 2MBS Fine Music 2025 Jazz Artist in Residence role. Liz has been rehearsing with her quartet, to develop new headline shows and record her first studio album (her first live album was released in 2023). As she continues her studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music this year Liz is already looking to further her career next year with a possible move to the United States. Aiming to combine further study with performance, Liz will continue in her trajectory as an Australian international jazz singer.
Can you tell us what led you to jazz?
When I was growing up my house was always filled with music. Though my family weren’t musicians they loved listening to every genre and exposed me to the great jazz singers. As I reached primary school I was always singing and tried out lots of genres in choirs and as a Schools Spectacular featured artist. During that time I discovered a natural affinity for jazz. I loved the freedom it gave me and once my first singing teacher, Natasha Cupitt, encouraged me to try improvising, I realised it was unlike anything else. From there I went to the Sydney Conservatorium High School and learned classical vocal technique and operatic repertoire. However, my heart was always in jazz and I joined my first jazz ensemble, led by Judy Bailey, in year 10.
This path was consolidated in year 12 when I graduated from the Talent Development Project, a competitive NSW public schools program in which hundreds of students are whittled down to 14 graduates. In this program, under the guidance of Peter Cousens, I was encouraged to find my unique voice and embrace what I love. This led me to fully define myself as a jazz singer, put on my first headline show and begin a Jazz Performance degree at the Sydney Conservatorium in 2022. There I have studied under jazz legends such as Kevin Hunt, Craig Scott and Steve Barry.
What are the challenges and rewards in creating and performing your music?
Jazz can be simultaneously the most freeing and daunting music to create. Finding the balance between respecting the lineage of the music and not while expressing your own voice is definitely a challenge. For a performer jazz represents a tightrope between risk and reward, as experimentation is intrinsic to the music. This is also what makes it so deeply rewarding. Every time I step on stage the music feels like a live wire for which you can’t help but be fully present. Being able to connect directly with audiences not only through the storytelling of the lyrics but also through improvisation is an absolute gift. There is no better feeling than taking risks on stage and when they don’t come off the way you planned, embracing the new possibilities they present.
You will be working with your quartet while at 2MBS Fine Music. Can you tell us about the quartet and some of the works you will be creating?
Emerging out of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Jazz Course, The Liz Player Quartet is made up not only of some of the most incredible young musicians in Sydney but some of my greatest friends. With Sabine Tapia on bass, Tom Odell on piano and Matt Simmonds on drums, we have been performing all over Sydney since 2022. During our time at 2MBS we will develop new arrangements and original music to be performed at headline shows. Having already recorded an EP’s worth of music, soon to be announced, we will also head into the studio to record our debut album at the end of the year.
You have played in a number of interesting venues and locations. What are some of the more unusual places?
I have been lucky enough to perform in some incredible places locally and abroad. In Australia these include Luna Park, Government House Sydney, Government House Canberra, the ICC and Qudos Bank Arena. I’ve also performed in many regional venues including the Broken Hill Civic Centre, Tamworth Town Hall, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre and Moree Services Club. Internationally I’ve sung at underground jam sessions across Japan in Tokyo and Osaka and at the Shiga Kogen Roman Museum.
You aim to record your debut studio album, Echoes of Place: An Australian Song Cycle, during your residency. What can we expect from it?
Echoes of Place aims to represent my connection with the spaces that have shaped me. From St Matthews Church in Manly (the site of my naming day) to a classic Aussie pub I grew up visiting, it will explore the ways in which my music and identity have grown. With a firm footing in jazz, the album’s compositions will contain cross-genre influences and soundscapes while incorporating Australian poems and texts. There will also be arrangements of selected jazz standards and folk tunes that have had a great impact on my sound. I aim to collaborate with classical string artists alongside my quartet to create an entirely new sonic palette for my music.
What are some of your future plans?
In 2025 I will complete the final year of my Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance while also performing all over Sydney. With my own headline shows in the works (to be announced), shows in the pipeline with James Valentine and a bi-weekly residency at the Orchard in Chatswood, there will be plenty of opportunities for my audience to catch a performance. In future I aim to start a Master of Music at a New York university and embark on an international recording and touring career, expanding the Australian contribution to the jazz canon.
Liz Player Quartet is playing at Foundry 616 on Wednesday 26 March at 8:30pm.