THE SAVAGE FIVE

Album: Sleepwalker” Out March 4th  

Gigs Announced:

Wed 2nd Mar Christchurch Cathedral Crypt, Dublin

Sat 5th Mar 12th Annual Nashville Belfast Songwriters Festival, Belfast Empire Music Hall

Prepare to hear the sublime. Introducing the Savage Five: beautiful new music for voice and strings. Charismatic Irish soprano, jazz vocalist and songwriter Suzanne Savage (described as “Ireland’s hidden music hero” (BBC N.I.)) joins forces with a unique contemporary string ensemble from the Netherlands to create songscapes: vocal music where anything is possible.

The brainchild of co-writers Suzanne Savage and NZ cellist Hugo Smit, the Savage Five feature some of the most dynamic string players in Europe; including violinist Lianne Van Den Berg (NL), viola player Rachael Yates (UK) and double bassist Sven Otte (GER) – the double bass extending the register beyond that of the conventional string quartet. These players have performed with stellar ensembles such as the NNO (Noord Nederlands Orkest), Badische Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony and Musica Antiqua Köln.

Suzanne cut her teeth touring Europe and U.S. as Priniciple Soprano Soloist with Riverdance. Coming home to Ireland after a scholarship at the Italian FABRICA MUSICA institute, she has made music internationally with the likes of Irish music legends Paul Brady, Elenor McEvoy, Van Morrison; jazz greats such as Jimmy Cobb, the Ernie Watts Quartet and emerging talent such as David Lyttle (UK) and the Matteo Addabbo Organ Trio (IT). Suzanne has performed at SXSW, UK/NY, Electric Picnic, Guinness Cork International Jazz Festival, the Belfast Festival at Queens; been featured artist on TED.com, BBC N.Ireland, with Paul Brady on RTE´s Imelda May Show; with RTE Concert Orchestra and Ulster Orchestra, and was recently Artist of the Month on Balcony TV. In June 2015 Suzanne appeared on the front cover of The Sunday Times as she performed at Dublin city´s new Canalophonic music festival, and a recent video interview for BourbonFM received over 25,000 hits. In 2012 she was awarded the N.Ireland Arts Council SIAP for work on her critically acclaimed independant solo album ´Jellymould.´

Hugo and Suzanne´s co-writing cite musical influences as broad as Cole Porter, Björk and Bartók; the Savage Five have their own sonic world. With humour and pathos they perform their own clear sighted and subversive vision of The Art Song; moving deftly between delicately arranged stillness and full-blooded whirling dervish. Add to this unmistakable influence of Irish music; Suzanne´s lyrics speak of the landscape, of standing stones, love, war, falling… and quite fancying strangers.

The Savage Five are an exciting new voice in contemporary music – Don´t miss the opportunity of catching this truly memorable ensemble on their first Irish tour this Spring. The Savage Five, featured artists of the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra’s chamber music series last year, are to embark on their first Irish Tour in March 2016. Having recently recorded their evocative debut album “Sleepwalking,” they bring their unique sound to our shores with concerts in Dublin´s St. Stephen Green Unitarian Church Wed 2^nd March and Sat 5th March at Belfast´s Empire Music Hall at the Belnash Songwriters Festival, and later in the evening at the Oh Yeah Music Centre for the Women´s Work Festival Showcase.