Andy Vance
Andy Vance is one of Australia’s leading Jazz Pianists. He has worked as a soloist throughout Australia and has performed in a wide variety of ensembles and styles.
He is highly qualified with a Diploma of Jazz Studies, a Bachelor of Music and a Graduate Diploma in Improvisation. Andy is an experienced Tertiary Lecturer and is considered to be Australia’s leading Jazz Piano educator, having taught at the Victorian College of the Arts and the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He is a recording artist with ABC Records and Newmarket Music.
A prolific composer, Andy has made many recordings / CD’s of original music and traditional hymns in his own inimitable contemporary jazz style.
Andy taught Piano and Improvisation at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne from 1991-1994. During this time he was diagnosed with the degenerate eye condition R.P. (Retinitis Pigmentosa). 1995 saw Andy move to Perth to take up the position as the Artist in Residence at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, in the Jazz Faculty. He was subsequently the Jazz Piano and Improvisation Lecturer until 2000. In 1996 the Andy Vance Trio recorded a highly successful CD titled Voices, featuring Murray Wilkins on double bass and Frank Gibson on drums.
2001 sees Andy and his family return to his home city of Melbourne, teaming up with Andy Sugg again and recording the Digital Flicks double CD. Many tracks from Digital Flicks and Voices have been used as background (source) music in Australian TV dramas. Andy resumed his private teaching practice, performing and recording career. Nine CD’s later, released through Newmarket Music, Andy’s work has been focused on the connection between traditional hymns and contemporary jazz. Amazing Grace was nominated for an Aria in 2005. The Amazing Grace and All Things Bright and Beautiful CD’s were released world wide by GMI.
In 2006 Andy began an exciting collaboration with the fine trumpeter Greg Ambroisine, playing as a duo and quartet around Australia. Together they recorded on Andy’s quartet CD project, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring. 2009 sees Andy and Greg performing music from Jesu Joy as a duo and quartet around Melbourne.
In 2010 the duo joined forces with Sydney jazz musicians John Morrison, Pete Kohlhoff and Con Campbell to form Transit. The band recorded a quintet album of contemporary hymn arrangements and original works, performing this music to great acclaim throughout Australia. In 2011 Andy collaborated with his brother Peter Vance, a fine Brisbane jazz vocalist, on Pete’s debut album The Truth.
A project close to Andy’s heart came to fruition in 2012, with the publishing of the Real Faithbook of Great Hymns, containing many of his arrangements. 2013 sees the release of a new solo piano CD titled Just As I Am; a collection of contemporary jazz hymn arrangements and originals. Following the success of this solo piano project, Andy recorded and released another solo piano album titled I Have No King But Jesus in 2014.
A highlight for Andy in 2015 was the invitation from Crescendo International to lead the Jazz Program/Faculty at the Crescendo Summer Institute in Tokaj, Hungary. While in Europe Andy performed in Churches and Jazz venues in Berlin, Karlsruhe and Basel. Extensive preparations were made for the inaugural Crescendo Summer Institute in South Africa for 2016.
2016 began with an exciting recording project with vocalist Janna Seeley. Andy led the Jazz Program in Cape Town; teaching, mentoring and performing alongside students and teachers from over 15 countries.