Kyoko Oyobe Quartet

press release: The Wisconsin Union Theater welcomes the Kyoko Oyobe Quartet Thursday, May 2nd, 2019 at 8:00p.m. in the Play Circle. Prices for the event are as follows: General Public are $28, Union Members are $24, UW Faculty/Staff are $26, and UW-Madison students are $10. Tickets may be bought here, by phone at 608-265-ARTS (2787) or in person, see locations and hours here.

Oyobe is joined on stage by saxophonist Steve Wilson, drummer Matt Wilson and bassist Michael O’Brien.

Studying piano since the age of four, Oyobe was inspired by a live performance by Kensaku Tanikawa and began playing jazz piano at 19. She moved to New York to perform at renowned jazz clubs such as Smalls and Fat Cat. In 2008 her trio released the album “Cookin’ at Smalls,” which put them on the map. She now frequently plays throughout Europe and Japan and has become a mainstay in the New York City jazz scene. In 2015 her quartet released the album “Happy Silence.”

Her music borrows from Bebop to Brazilian, and Free Jazz to French Impressionist and 20th century voicing. Her inimitable style is adventurous and dynamic. “Oyobe plays with gentleness and sincerity and her compositions are beautiful, highly lyrical and harmonically satisfying music,” – The New York City Jazz Record on “Happy Silence” (2015).

The concert is presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Performing Arts. This program was supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Media sponsors are WORT and 89.9 FM.