After participating in multiple jazz festivals all over Europe over the years, BYU's Synthesis has finally travelled south of the equator for a taste of latin jazz in Brazil. The BYU jazz band spent its first week of tour in Brazil participating in performances and workshops in Betim, Contagem, and in the Santa Teresa Jazz Festival on the coast of Brazil.
After sold-out concerts in Betim and Contagem, the group participated in a joint concert with the Palacio das Artes Big Band. The members of the groups were able to form fast friendships over the several hours that they rehearsed together. Their concert packed the house with 1,700 people.
At the Santa Teresa Jazz Festival, Synthesis impressed audiences with their American big-band talent. The festival included performances by musicians of international and Brazilian acclaim, touching on the very best of jazz and bossa nova. Synthesis was featured in a key slot on Saturday night in the festival.
Synthesis held multiple workshops throughout the first week of tour, including an hour-long session with the FAMES Music School in Vitoria. The group presented two firesides in Belo Horizonte and Vitoria and spent some cultural time in the historical town of Ouro Preto. This next week Synthesis will perform in Campos, Rio de Janeiro, and in the Rio das Ostras Jazz Festival.
For more information regarding BYU performing groups, visit pam.byu.edu. To book a performance, contact Performing Arts Management at (801) 422-3576 or perform@byu.edu.
