Photo Credits: Reed Young / Fabrica Andrea Molino | Lyndon Terracini | Fabrica's Musicians | TaikOz | The Queensland Orchestra | Bill Bowers | Jethro Louw | Matthias Neutzner | Fabrica's Contributors | Dresdner Sinfoniker   SOUTH AFRICA       Siya Makuzeni Siya was born on March 18 1982; she picked up music in 1996. A year later, she was introduced to the school’s Jazz program, and began playing trombone in the school Jazz Band and Big Band until her completion in 2000. Throughout her high school Siya attended the National Youth Jazz Festival, an annual program aimed at allowing the country’s Jazz students to participate and audition for the festival’s topmost band selections. After Siya’s matriculation she went to study a BMus degree at Rhodes University, where she also took up Drama and Physical Theatre. A year later, she decided to transfer to a more specialized study field and enrolled at  the Pretoria Technikon Music School, studying a BMusJazz degree. It was at this time that she also began applying for Jazz competitions, her most accomplished being the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters, where she secured the Regional Finalist (Gauteng) for Jazz Vocals in 2002. Siya has also managed a few international acts.         Bongani Ngesi Bongai was born near Cape Town, South Africa in a village called Kwalanga. In 1994, while at high school, he began playing African music and also started to attend Cuba brass lessons. In 1996 Bongani became a percussions virtuoso and started to play with legendary  musicians, like Dizu Plaatjies, the former leader of Amampondo and the Jika Marimba Ensemble. In 2001 he formed a group called Abavuki (“the early birds”), the  group sings, dances, plays brass and marimbas. In 2002 Bongani recorded a cd with Abavuki entitled African Rhythms. He  has been recently called to join the Ibayambo Ensemble. Bongani is also teaching music to homeless youngsters in cape Town.         Zwelakhe Zwane Zwelakhe was born in 1984 and he started playing percussions in 2000. He immediately got enthusiastic about playing djembe which he learned at the Funda Centre Art School. In 2003 he started to play as master of percussions and drummers all over South Africa, were he also played for the opening of the South African games in 2004.             THAILAND       Arnon Kanjanapo Arnon Kanjanapo was born in Ayutthaya on February 13 1986. In 2003 he graduated from Angthong College of Dramatic Arts. In 2006 he started studying for a bachelor degree in the Fine Arts Banditpattanasilapa Institute and won a scholarship for his singing abilities. His plays the Kong-Wong-Yai, a typical Thai instrument made of metal plates in a circle wood structure.         Krengkkrai Onsumarng Krengkkrai Onsumarng is  a 23 years old musician playing Thai traditional instruments. In 2000 he won a scholarship from the  College of Thai Dance, while in 2002 he was awarded a  scholarship from  Prince Narisaranuwattiwongse and was selected to be a representative of Thailand in the Thai culture show in Seoul, Korea. From 2006 Krengkrai has started to study for a bachelor degree at the Fine Arts Banditpattanasilapa Institute. His main instrument is the Ranad-Tume a sort of Thai xilophone.         Sartra Laosoongnoen Sartra Laosoongnoen graduated from Nakornrachasrima College of Dramatic Arts in 2004 and from 2006 has started to study for bachelor degree at the  Fine Arts Banditpattanasilapa Institute. He can build beautifully engraved Thai flutes that he then plays very well.         Wuttichai Linmchoey Wuttichai Linmchoey was born in Chacherngsao and from 2006 he is studying bachelor degree at the Fine Arts Banditpattanasilapa Institute. Wuttichai plays the Ta-Pon, percussions made of wood and pieces of cow skin stretched over round frames.         Wichai Poopechra Wichai Poopechra was born in Bangkok. In 2005 he moved to the United States where he started teaching Thai Music. In 2006 he graduated in Fine Arts  at the Banditpattanasilapa Institute. Wichai main instrument is the Ranad Ek, a big wood xiliphone,  as well  as the Klong Khag, a percussion which is usually played in horizontal position.             USA       Yonadav Halevy Yoni was born in Haifa, Israel in 1981 to an English mother and Israeli father. He began playing drums at the age of seven, studying drums & orchestra percussions at the Haifa Youth Orchestra. He began performing professionally at the age of 16 and continued to develop his jazz playing in many different straight–ahead, avant-garde, Latin, electric, small and big band settings. He has performed with various Israeli jazz artists and ensembles in clubs and festivals across the country. In 1999 he was granted the status of "outstanding musician" by the ministry of culture in Israel, and thus served in the first IDF Jazz band.  In 2002-2003 Yoni taught jazz history and jazz ensembles at Carmel Zvulun high school in Kibbutz Yagur and performed extensively in Israel with various jazz groups and traditional Arabic and Balkan music ensembles. In 2003 Yoni moved to New York city, where he currently resides when he is not touring.         Brett Ryan Brett Ryan was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He was first exposed to music through piano lessons as a young boy, and he started playing saxophone at the age of 11. His first professional gig was at 13, when he played saxophone as part of a play he acted in for a local theatre company. He soon became one of the top young musicians in the area and began playing gigs with local bands in a wide variety of styles and settings. After graduating from high school, he landed a spot in the Glenn Miller Orchestra, with which he did an extensive tour of the U.S. After studying music for a year at SUNY Purchase in upstate New York, Brett moved to New York City in the summer of 2004, where he began to partake in a wide variety of activities in the performing arts.  He has studied music with such musicians as Oliver Lake, Lee Konitz, and Larry Ridley, and is on his way to becoming a regular in the avant-garde music scene.  He has also studied mime with the American Mime Theatre and dance at the Merce Cunningham studio as well many other studios around New York.  Brett has recently began to perform regularly in the New York theatre scene, premiering new works and performing old classics.  He has also written, composed, produced, and performed two different full-length solo music and theatre works.  Look for Brett in New York in the upcoming production of the new musical, Conjoin Us!, as well as the first international tour of the Brett Ryan Porkestra.             GERMANY       Jan F. Kurth Jan F. Kurth was born in 1982 in Preetz/Kiel (Northern Germany). He spent most of his life in Köln (Cologne) where he started to take bass recorder lessons with Cordula Breuer (Ganassi Consort, Concerto Köln) from1991 to 2002. He had experiences as a singer at 14 and soon began to write his own songs and lyrics. In 1999 Jan started to take voice lessons with Alexandra Naumann.  At 19 he started focusing on Jazz and began studies at the Dresden Conservatory. Jan has developed a favour for free improvisation, loops and electronics. He works with various projects in different fields. He is himself a composer and bandleader. Concert invitations lead him to the Czech Republic, France and England.             REST OF THE WORLD For the performance in Brisbane       Raphael Camenisch (Switzerland) Raphael Camenisch was born in Zurich. He started his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Zurich while still at high school to graduate with distinction in 2000. Further influence came from masterclasses with Ivan Roth, Jean-Michel Goury und Kyle Horch. He has won various competitions and was soloist in Zurich's Tonhalle with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra in 2003 as part of the Orpheum concerts. As a chamber musician Raphael Camenisch brings his passion to various kind of music, from classic to contemporary repertoire.  It is above all as an interpreter of new works that he has drawn widespread attention,  and  has been involved in numerous premiere performances of works.   Photo Credits: Namiko Kitaura/ Fabrica       Sascha Armbruster (Germany) Sascha Armbruster was born in Lahr/Schwarzwald (Germany) in 1974. Then he first studied saxophone in Basle with Iwan Roth and Marcus Weiss. After the «Premier prix à l'  Unanimité» at the Conservatoire de Paris with Claude Delangle, he specialized in contemporary music and its borders. Concert- activities as soloist and with chamber groups brought him to famous festivals in Japan, the US and all over Europe. He performed with leading ensembles for contemporary music as the «Ensemble Modern», the «Ensemble Recherche» and the «Klangforum Wien». As member and founder of the ARTE Quartett (Basle) he worked with musicians like Tim Berne, Marc Ducret, Pierre Favre, Fred Frith, Urs Leimgruber and Terry Riley. Since winter term 2001 he has been working as a tutor for saxophone and he is responsible for the new music department at the conservatory of Lucerne, Switzerland.   Photo Credits: Matthias Willi