Diana Leoport

Born: October 2, 1997

Diana Leoport is a Mexican jazz vocalist, songwriter, and performance artist with over a decade of training and experience on the national and international jazz scene. Her artistry blends a refined jazz language with contemporary influences, poetic storytelling, and an emotional stage presence that has captivated audiences in Mexico and abroad.

Leoport’s development as a jazz artist has been deeply shaped by formal training and intensive residencies with world-class musicians. In 2024, she was selected for the prestigious Antonio Sánchez Jazz Residency at the Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City, where she trained with Sánchez, Thana Alexa, Fabián Almazán, Ben Wendel, Nir Felder, and Linda May Han Oh. She has also studied at Barcelona’s Liceu Conservatori, participating in masterclasses with Aaron Parks, Joel Ross, and Joey Calderazzo, and at Festival Jazzuv, learning from Miguel Zenón, Danilo Pérez, and Henry Cole. Her academic background includes studies at the Escuela Superior de Música (CDMX) and the Centro Morelense de las Artes (CEMA).

Louise Alexandra (Koopman)

Louise Alexandra (fka Van Aarsen) Koopman, holds a PhD in cancer Biology and spends much of her days researching & developing novel cancer immunotherapies, but is equally passionate about music and singing.

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While living and working in Boston for 15 years, Louise's musical 'side-career' took off under the wings of the late and great jazz vocalist and mentor Rebecca Parris, who embraced Louise as her musical protegee.

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Besides interpreting the great American songbook standards, Louise started writing her own songs; poignant stories and catchy compositions with a unique flavor in a mix of jazz, latin, pop, and singer/songwriter fusion. The result: "DESTINY", an impressive debut album recorded with some of Boston’s finest jazz musicians at PBS Studios. Rebecca Parris directed and produced Destiny and also directed the recordings of the upcoming album "TODAY", but sadly passed before seeing the second album come to fruition. The dedication is evident.

Vanessa Finney

Born: May 22

Vanessa Finney grew up in southern California, where she worked as a radio DJ and attended UCLA. Now based in southern Oregon, she hosts two podcasts at Jefferson Public Radio: the pro-aging segment "My Better Half" and "The Creative Way," an artist profile series.

She performs at venues throughout Oregon's wine country and just released her first album, "Bésame Mucho," with arranger Mark Hamersly.

Rochelle House

Born: March 19, 1960

Rochelle enjoys singing, recording, composing and teaching. A native of the California, Rochelle spent many years building musical connections throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond resulting in an ensemble cast that includes many top musicians. She combines a love for music with her passion for social justice and education.  Rochelle has earned a B.A. in Music/ Jazz and a M.A. from Antioch University in Whole Systems Design.  Rochelle has released five albums on her own hand stitched label, House Records.

Rochelle has the good fortune to make music with Evan Flory-Barnes,  D’Vonne Lewis,  Andy Coe, Marc Seales, Tim Kennedy, Dawn Clement, Darrius Willrich, Kate Olson, Thomas Marriot, Geoff Harper, Thione Diop, Donormaal, Rave Holly, Teo Shantz, Jeff Johnson, and Hans Teuber among others. 

Emily Saunders

Dubbed “UK’s queen of jazz-fusion”, critically acclaimed vocalist, songwriter, and producer, Emily Saunders, takes any stage by storm. Presenting her most powerful work to date MOON SHIFTS OCEANS - a powerhouse of hits - hailed by critics as the breakout star for 2025. Saunders keeps you hooked from the first track, her upbeat, soul-infused album blends smoky vocals with jazz-fusion and folk-pop sensuality. Emily crafts a deeply personal and emotional soundscape, evoking magical nights filled with warmth, connection, and freedom.

Singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer of all her music, her songs, lyrics, and voice serve as a soundtrack to life, blending multiple shades of emotion and experience. Emily’s engaging, distinctive vocals, and hands-on production blend pop and soul-jazz with echoes of Brazilian/broken beats. Her songs explore love, connection, freedom, and hope, crafting an atmosphere of enchantment and celebration.

Judy Niemack

Born: March 11, 1954

Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Judy gained her early experience singing in her church choir from the age of 7. She first heard jazz through her mother’s Nancy Wilson records, and discovered that she could easily sing harmonies when she and her sister sang background vocals on folk songs behind their brother. As a teenager, she sang in a wide variety of settings including musical theater, rock bands, bluegrass groups, madrigals and in a vocal jazz quartet.

Judy then studied classical singing and was encouraged to make it her focus, but the turning point in her young career was when she met the great tenor-saxophonist Warne Marsh (who followed in the footsteps of his teacher, pianist Lennie Tristano by becoming an important jazz educator). “I became Warne’s first vocal student. He treated me just like I was a horn player, and assigned me solos by Charlie Parker, Roy Eldridge and Prez to learn. He taught me to improvise. He always called it instant composition.” Attending Pasadena City College, she had lessons with alto saxophonist Gary Foster, and later studied classical singing at New England Conservatory and Cleveland Institute Of Music.

Jodi Michelle Proznick

Keith Wong

Keith Wong, a jazz vocalist and composer, discovered his passion for music in Hong Kong, where he was born and raised. Having graduated from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2022, he is one of the few singers from Hong Kong who received formal jazz vocal training. He brings a diverse cultural background to his music, enriching it with his choral and theatrical experiences.

Known for his creative writing, Keith Wong won the Best Original Music of the Year at the Beehive Music Award 2022 from A Cappella China. Fueling his artistic pursuits, Keith Wong received support from both the Sena Performers Music Production Funds in the Netherlands and the Hong Kong Art Development Council in 2023, facilitating the creation of his debut "Intertwined." Every song on the album bears his creative fingerprint, blending elements of modern jazz, choral arrangement, and theatrical essence.

June Bisantz

Born: June 6

Vocalist, lyricist and visual artist JUNE BISANTZ has co-written and produced several collections of original vocal jazz, all of which have received national recognition. 

She has toured internationally, and performed and recorded with distinguished jazz musicians including Steve Swallow, Bob Moses, Paul Brown, Lew Soloff, Mike Stern, Jon Burr, Steve Davis & Will Lee. Reviews and articles about her work have appeared in publications including People Magazine, USA Today, Downbeat, JazzQuad.Ru, Jazziz Magazine, Jazz Podium Magazine, Jazz USA, the New York Times, New York Newsday & the Boston Globe.  Her work has been released on the Pausa and Nova labels, Los Angeles, Alpha Records,  Japan, Track Records, NYC and Arabesque Records, NY. 

Rachel Gould