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Show 1 of Jazz Winnipeg’s International Jazz ShowcaseRaised in the wilds of Vancouver Island, Elysia Biro is ready to bloom.
Crafting her sound from an expansive fusion of genres, the 25-year-old singer, songwriter, and pianist blends classical technique with modern pop songwriting and live-off-the-floor jazz instrumentation. Effortlessly fusing her skilled musicianship with an enticing aura of creative flow, Biro’s music has an unyielding magnetism that lingers like a charged current in the air.
A student of classical piano since age 4, Elysia Biro (pronounced Eh-lee-sha Bee-row) earned her diploma in classical piano from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. At 13, inspired by the genre’s improvisational free form, she taught herself how to play jazz by ear and began writing her own music. After graduating high school at 16, Biro earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies for piano and voice before moving to England to complete her Master’s of Music degree at the University of York.
Now signed to Universal Music Canada and Deutsche Grammophon, the technically gifted artist’s curious, creative spirit guides her toward musical epiphanies rooted in self-discovery. “This is the most fulfilled that I have ever felt,” Biro says. “For the first time, I feel whole, and that has allowed me to look inward in a way I hadn't been able to before.”
Though she lives in a major city, the organic unpredictability of nature remains integral to Elysia Biro’s creative process. “Living way out in the forest became a foundational part of who I am,” she says of her upbringing in British Columbia, Canada. Her adventurous side, informed by years of frolicking in the woods, still seeks natural stimuli to converse with as she’s in and out of the studio. On tour, she finds local botanical gardens to wander, attuned to the score of songbirds and trees rustling. This intentional change of scenery serves as an inspiring force as her solitary, spiritual walks compel lyrics to emerge. “It’s like a creative foraging,” she says.
An expressive and reflective songwriter, Elysia Biro’s music paints a compelling self-portrait. Preserving her love for the improvisational nature of jazz and the element of surprise in her music, Biro records live-off-the-floor, allowing instrumental conversations between the upright bass, brush drums, Wurlitzer and Rhodes pianos, cello, horns, organ, strings, and vocal harmonies to flourish. Citing jazz and folk luminaries such as Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, and Joni Mitchell among her greatest influences, Biro honours both tradition and the possibilities that unfurl when exploring new forms. “It just feels very authentic to me,” she says of connecting jazz and pop. “I'm writing music that is honest in its musicality and to all of my influences, while also being accessible for people who wouldn't necessarily pull out a jazz record. I hope my music creates a sense of warmth, comfort, and wonder.”
Biro’s introspective songwriting, distinct soulful vocals, and skilled musicianship represent a timeless alliance not only of genres, but generations. Much like her contemporaries Laufey, Olivia Dean, and Lizzie McAlpine, Elysia Biro’s music resonates with younger audiences yearning for expressive artistry in the form of jazz-and-classical-inspired pop music. Biro has quickly amassed a dedicated audience on social media through her captivating vocals and virtuosic transcriptions of jazz solos - filmed as she cozily strums a harpejji cross-legged on her bed or plays on a rooftop in Tokyo, keyboard in tow.
In the expanse of past, present and future, Biro finds honesty in the immediate. “It’s easier to write songs once you’ve fully processed your emotions, but you’re also in a different point of view,” she says. “Writing when you’re in it allows you to capture that perspective.” The result is a compelling capsule of life as she knows it right now, blossoming between seasons. Now based in Los Angeles, where she writes, records and produces, Elysia Biro continues to combine worlds, creating sonic sanctuaries all her own.
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Jazz Winnipeg’s International Jazz Showcase spotlights eight exceptional artists working at the highest level across countries, continents, and the full spectrum of jazz.
From Iceland and Denmark to Canada and the USA, from pop-inflected grooves to jazz-rock, straight-ahead swing, and free exploration, the Showcase offers a rich cross-section of today’s global jazz landscape. It’s a true feast - equally inviting for jazz newcomers as it is satisfying for the most discerning jazz aficionados.
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Jazz Winnipeg's International Jazz Showcase series is located in The Club Room on the lower level of The Fort Garry Hotel. The venue is wheelchair accessible with assistance - please inform the hotel's front desk staff if you'd like to use the elevator to access the lower level.
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Event Venue
Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
