Susan Johanna de Jong
Born: Glenelg, South Australia
June, 1969
Lives in Christchurch, New Zealand
General Biographical Information:
For over 20 years Susan de Jong has performed as a Jazz and Contemporary singer in Australia and New Zealand, the USA and Thailand, singing with big bands, small combos, orchestras, rock bands and choral groups. She is an established band leader and accomplished choral arranger and director as well as a highly experienced music teacher. But singing is her first love and she is a passionate vocalist who performs with joy and humour.
Growing up in Adelaide, South Australia, music was always a big part of her life. Her father, Ken, played piano and piano-accordion in a band in Holland before migrating to Australia with his family in the early 1960's. Music was her haven throughout High School and eventually she applied to the South Australian College of Advanced Education (SACAE) for a Bachelor of Music in Jazz. Graduating in 1991 Susan was already teaching jazz voice to students in the Bachelor of Education course at SACAE. In 1991 the SACAE amalgamated with the University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium. Susan was a vocal tutor there until 1999 when she was offered the fulltime vocal position at the Christchurch Jazz School.
Susan is an accomplished educator and was head of the Jazz programme at the Christchurch CPIT Jazz School for three years, stepping down in 2007 to pursue a Masters in Music which she completed in 2008 with Distinction. She still teaches at the jazz school where she lectures in Jazz voice, choral singing and ensembles. She also holds choral and Jazz workshops and teaches throughout New Zealand
and Australia.
Susan has sung at many of the major jazz festivals in Australia and New Zealand including, most recently, the Tauranga Montana National Jazz Festival over Easter 2007 and the Montana Christchurch International Jazz Festival 2006.
Susan performs as a vocal soloist with many different bands including the house trio at the Millennium Hotel, Christchurch, and for eight years was a member of the ‘luscious harmony’ vocal trio Volare who released their self-titled CD in 2004.
With "Julie Mason & the Jazz Divas" Susan sings solo and in four-part harmony. This groups consists of two Auckland vocalists and two Christchurch vocalists with an Auckland trio backing. This group is making a name for itself on the Jazz Festival circuit and released a live album entitled "Charmed Life" in 2007.
Nigel Spiers, with Susan, are embarking on a new project of Soul and Blues Classics in July 2009. They released "US Odyssey" in early 2008 which was a blues CD on which Susan sang all original blues tunes written by Spiers inspired by his trip to Louisiana U.S.A. Susan also sang on an original EP of Nigel's in 2005 with the Garage Band - see discography.
As a choir director, Susan has lead the “Southern Lights” jazz choir in performances for Coca Cola Christmas in the Park (2003, 2004), and the Lunchtime Series concerts at the Great Hall and Cathedral Square (both 2005/2004). Also in 2004 the choir were invited to sing at the Manly International Jazz Festival in Sydney, Australia, where Susan's choral arrangements made up the majority of the programme. She also sang with her choir in the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s production of Porgy & Bess at the Chch Town Hall in 2005. Susan was also a featured soloist at this event.
In recent years Susan has started to explore song-writing and over the past eight years has featured one or two original songs on each of her CD releases. This includes her collaboration with Christchurch stalwart, pianist Doug Caldwell and the tune ‘Akaroa’ that appears on their album "I Hear Music" released in 2005. The tune “I’m Just So Happy” was written in 2002 for the release of her first solo CD “It’s About Time” and was inspired by the dimples of her then 3 year old nephew Shane. “I was a little homesick at the time,” said de Jong, who hails from South Australia, where all her family reside.
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