bria skonberg quintet
Saturday. August 29, 2029 - 8:45 pm - 10:15 pm
Main Stage
“If Louis Armstrong and Doris Day could somehow be the same person, they’d be Bria Skonberg”
The Wall Street Journal
“Ms. Skonberg has become the shining hope of hot jazz, on the strength of a clarion trumpet style indebted to Louis Armstrong, a smooth purr of a singing voice inspired by Anita O’Day.”
The New York Times
“A millennial shaking up the jazz world”
Vanity Fair
“One of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation”
The Wall Street Journal
“On her debut US recording, trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg makes a diverse musical statement - it’s clear she’s up to more than nostalgia”
New York Daily News
“Bria Skonberg confirms that she is not only indeed a triple threat musician - player, vocalist and composer - but also that that esteemed lineage, consummate entertainers all, would heartily approve her membership”
All About Jazz
Bria Skonberg is a Juno-award-winning artist, 12x Downbeat Rising Star, recipient of the Legend Award by the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook, and a 2025 nominee for the prestigious “Academie du Jazz” awards. The trumpeter, vocalist, and songwriter has been called the “shining hope of hot jazz” (NY Times) and is considered “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (WSJ).
She has been a featured artist at hundreds of festivals and stages the world over, including New Orleans Jazz Heritage, Kobe, Monterey, Breda, Newport, and Montreal Jazz Festivals, and recently at Carnegie Hall.
Her debut LP on Sony Masterworks reached #5 on the Billboard Jazz charts. Her most recent studio album, What it Means, was recorded in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, featuring top local musicians, and released on Cellar Live. Her music has been streamed over 20 million times. The daughter of teachers, Bria was introduced to jazz by a spirited public school band program and local festival in her hometown of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. A professional band leader since her teens, she moved to Vancouver and obtained her degree in Trumpet Performance from Capilano University.
Since arriving in New York in 2010, she has been at the forefront of a revival of classic American music as both a performer and educator, programming concerts and workshops for students of all ages on behalf of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Louis Armstrong House Museum, Jazz House Kids, and more. She is a co-producer of the NY Hot Jazz Camp, now in its 10th year. Bria is an active member of the Women in Jazz Organization, the International Trumpet Guild, a Bach Conn-Selmer artist, and became a mother in 2020.
Bria’s 2024 release, What It Means, Bria returns to what inspired her journey in jazz, the sounds of New Orleans jazz. Recorded at Esplanade Studios during Mardi Gras of 2023, Bria is joined by an ensemble of established veterans and up-and-coming talent, including master Crescent City drummer Herlin Riley. This collection tells stories of life lessons that range from upbeat to down-to-earth to emotionally deep, all the while exhibiting both her mastery of the trumpet and her soulful and undeniably connective voice. Traditional jazz excursions such as "Petit Fleur" and "Elbow Bump;" a hard bop take on the Sonny & Cher hit "The Beat Goes On;" a duet with NOLA notable Gabrielle Cavassa on Van Morrison's "Days Like This;" a heartfelt dedication to her new child, John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy;" these and so many other tracks show how with her seventh studio album, Bria has solidified her artistry, mastering her signature style as one of the most distinctive artists in jazz.
Reserved seating is available in the exclusive Jazz Club Seating area—right in front of the Main stage! Enjoy complimentary beer and wine service throughout the performance and experience the festival up close like never before. 
