{"id":109615,"date":"2024-11-19T13:57:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T18:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=109615"},"modified":"2024-11-20T07:00:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T12:00:03","slug":"interview-vocalist-composer-pianist-laila-biali-talks-coming-back-classical-music-wintersongs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/11\/19\/interview-vocalist-composer-pianist-laila-biali-talks-coming-back-classical-music-wintersongs\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Vocalist, Composer & Pianist Laila Biali Talks About Coming Back To Classical Music For Wintersongs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Singer,
Singer, composer & pianist Laila Biali (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Multi-award-winning vocalist, pianist and composer Laila Biali release her latest album Wintersongs on November 1. At the end of the month, she\u2019ll be performing two shows in Toronto in support of the album.<\/p>\n

Biali, known largely for her work in jazz as a vocalist, (her JUNO-nominated Your Requests album took a dive into jazz standards), turns back to her roots in classical music for this release. Wintersongs, is Biali\u2019s 10th recording as a bandleader.<\/p>\n

Her current tour takes her from a sold-out show in London, UK on November 25 to land in Toronto on November 30 for two shows at Tyndale University. After Toronto, she\u2019s off to the West Coast, making her way back to Aurora (Dec. 14), Cobourg (Dec. 15), and finally London, ON on Dec. 19.<\/p>\n

The album, Wintersongs, comes from the time she spent at the Banff Centre, and consists of chamber art songs inspired by the environment.<\/p>\n

\"Singer,
Singer, composer & pianist Laila Biali (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Laila Biali: Classical to Jazz and Back<\/h2>\n

A classically trained pianist, Laila Bialia is best known today for her work in the world of jazz as a vocalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got into classical piano before I turned four,\u201d Laila says. She recalls the stories her mother would tell of a young Laila climbing onto the piano bench at the age of three and a half to play the Sesame Street themes by ear. \u201cBy the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to be a concert pianist.\u201d<\/p>\n

An arm injury at the at of 15 put a detour into the road. She calls her journey from classical pianist to jazz vocalist and songwriter \u201ca long transition\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was heartbroken, \u201cshe says, \u201cand I remained, I would say, in grieving […] for three, four years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around that time, she discovered jazz. \u201cJazz felt like the rebound boyfriend,\u201d she explains. \u201cI wasn\u2019t super happy about it for the first couple of years.\u201d Then, she discovered artists like Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, and others, and regained her musical passion. \u201cThat ended up being the silver lining.\u201d<\/p>\n

Biali still credits her early classical training for pushing her to be her best. \u201cI had a very dedicated piano teacher for the duration of my classical journey.\u201d Strict, but passionate. \u201cShe really pushed me from day one, and I was in.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she began to get more and more involved in the world of jazz, however, she discovered some elements she hadn\u2019t counted on before. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize what I was missing out on in terms of the community element,\u201d she says. The world of a classical pianist can be a very solitary one, whether you\u2019re a student or touring professional.<\/p>\n

With jazz, the goal is to create something spontaneous in the moment, as you play. \u201cIt\u2019s inherently collaborative.\u201d It\u2019s a contrast to the classical norm. \u201cYou tried to interpret the music as best you could,\u201d she says. \u201cJazz is more about departing from the framework.\u201d<\/p>\n