About the Event
After her successful American tour presented by the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Romanian Embassy to the U.S. this June, Teodora Brody gets back to New York for a one-off, improvisational concert at the famed Carnegie Hall, entitled "Impromptu", with four-time Emmy nominated jazzman Stanley Jordan.
We are pleased to recommend "Impromptu" for its bold exploration into the unknown, where music is born in the present moment—fresh, original, and unique to this single performance. Teodora Brody and Stanley Jordan shed conventional musical frameworks to embark on a journey of profound self-discovery through their art. They push the boundaries of their artistic consciousness, embracing the idea that true creativity comes from being deeply connected to one’s inner self rather than striving for perfection. They channel hidden emotions and ancestral echoes into their sound, weaving a tapestry of solitude, grief, and celebration. Each moment is an unpredictable revelation, both for the audience and for the artists themselves. Through this journey, they explore how suffering can be transformed into wisdom through the beauty within us all.
"Impromptu" is an independent project recommended by RCI New York. Find out more about the concert HERE.
Meet the Musicians
Teodora Brody Born in Romania, and now based in Switzerland, Teodora Brody initially trained in classical jazz and rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s singing with legendary jazz pianist Johnny Răducanu. Acclaimed for her extraordinary vocal power and creative vision, Teodora pioneered the fusion of jazz with Doina – Romania’s improvisatory folk singing tradition – and is widely credited with introducing international audiences to this extraordinary, deeply emotive music. Teodora’s intrepid imagination has taken her far beyond her Romanian and jazz roots into new musical territory in recent years. In 2019 her unique project ‘From Classical to Jazz’ was awarded ‘Project of the Year’ at the Romanian Jazz Awards Gala, and Teodora herself was named ‘Musician of the Year’ for the second year in a row. In 2004 the American government named Teodora a Romanian Cultural Ambassador to the USA, and in both 2007 and 2008 Teodora was awarded the prize for ‘Best International Jazz Contribution by a Romanian Artist’ by the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company. With unique projects including ‘From Classical to Jazz’ and ‘Classical Emotion’, Teodora has explored classical repertoire with a completely fresh approach, reimagining well-known works by composers including Bach, Beethoven, Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Bartók, Pablo Casals and the beloved Romanian composer George Enescu. These connections can be enjoyed on her album Rhapsody with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Stanley Jordan In a career that took flight in 1985 with commercial and critical acclaim, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness, imagination, versatility, and maverick daring. Be it bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits, to blazing straight-ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works – solo or with a group – Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected. In December 2021, Guitar World named Jordan in 5th place out of the 40 most influential guitarists since 1980, largely for his accomplishments with touch tapping – a technique whereby sounds are created by tapping the fingerboard with his fingertips. To date, Jordan has performed in over 60 countries on 6 continents. He has performed at many festivals, including the Kool Jazz Festival, the Concord Jazz Festival, and the Montreaux International Jazz Festival. During the 1980s he collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including performances with Art Blakey and Richie Cole and recordings with Stanley Clarke and Kenny Rogers. The track with Rogers, "Morning Desire", became America's Number 1country song in 1986. Later Jordan became a frequent guest with Les Paul during Paul's legendary Monday nights at Iridium in New York. Today Jordan performs frequently as a soloist and with his band, as well as collaborating with other guitarists such as Kevin Eubanks, Sharon Isbin and Muriel Anderson. He's also a frequent guest with jam bands such as the Dave Matthews Band, the String Cheese Incident, Phil Lesh, Moe and Umphrey's McGee. Jordan has received four Grammy nominations. His most recent album "Friends" was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Stanley Jordan was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began his music career at age six studying piano, then shifting his focus to guitar at age eleven. He then began playing in rock and soul bands. In 1976, while still in high school, Jordan performed with Quincy Jones and tied for first place as a soloist at the Reno International Jazz Festival. In 1981 he earned a BA in music from Princeton University, where he studied theory and composition with composer Milton Babbitt and computer music with composer Paul Lansky. While still at Princeton, Jordan performed with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie.