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Tish Oney

Tish is an award-winning jazz vocalist/composer/arranger/author and international recording and performing artist.

About Me

Dr. Tish Oney, international performing/recording artist, arranger, composer, and author currently tours as a symphony pops/big band soloist, jazz vocalist, musicologist, and voice pedagogue. Oney has arranged several hundred pieces for jazz combo including hits from the Great American Songbook as well as her originals and is frequently commissioned to write, arrange, and perform unique concert presentations.

Tish recently released her fifth major recording project featuring John Chiodini (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums). This album, The Best Part (on the Blujazz label) is a compilation of new original songs by contemporary jazz composers, including three never-before-heard songs co-written by jazz diva Peggy Lee. Oney's 2015 recording of original vocal/guitar duets titled Songs from the Heart was honored by the Recording Academy on the 2016 first-round Grammy ballot in three categories, including “Song of the Year.” Oney's previous albums, Sweet Youth, Dear Peg, and Forever Friend, also achieved international airplay, Grammy consideration, and critical acclaim.

Oney has performed and/or recorded with hundreds of renowned jazz artists and has headlined at thousands of live performances worldwide. She has performed as soloist with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Williamsburg Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphoria, several U.S. Army Bands including the Jazz Ambassadors and Pershing’s Own Army Voices and Army Blues, among others. She has headlined at jazz festivals, performing arts centers, concert series, and regional theatres worldwide. An experienced film, stage and television actress, Oney imbues her live performances with dramatic power and warmth.

Oney earned a starred review in Library Journal for her 2020 book, Peggy Lee: A Century of Song (Rowman & Littlefield). She was lauded for her singing in the book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide authored by jazz critic Scott Yanow. A recipient of The Diane Warren Award, Dr. Oney earned two initiations (by faculty at both IC and USC) into national music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda. Dr. Oney earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with honors from the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, and a Master of Music degree with honors in Voice Performance from Ithaca College.

Dr. Oney maintained a multi-decade dual career as an international performer and professor of music at several universities and colleges. She has served NATS (the National Association of Teachers of Singing) as a master teacher/workshop presenter. She has performed and taught at several other institutions as a visiting artist-in-residence. An esteemed choral conductor, she is frequently invited to work with professional, university and community choirs, and with vocal jazz ensembles as a guest conductor and soloist. Considered an expert in jazz and multi-genre singing, Dr. Oney authors peer-reviewed articles for the Journal of Singing, Classical Singer Magazine, and All About Jazz. She serves on the editorial board for the Jazz Education in Research and Practice professional journal. She recently traveled to Dublin to present a lecture recital, “Documenting Standards” at the inaugural Documenting Jazz international musicology conference.

Several of Dr. Oney’s former voice students have gone on to major careers on Broadway, as well as in opera, jazz and commercial music. Oney continues to teach voice for professional singers worldwide. She writes a quarterly column titled “Anatomy of a Standard,” for All About Jazz. She is currently writing her second book for music publisher Rowman & Littlefield. Her diverse, creative talents coalesce to form an outstanding performing artist with exceptional technique, improvisational skill, and expertise.

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My Jazz Story

I first began singing jazz when I was a kid... I discovered that I had the innate ability to improvise new melodies and put rhyming lyrics together on the spot! My interest in jazz grew rapidly and I began to saturate my ears with the timeless voices of Ella, Sarah, Billie and others. My story continues... I am blessed today to explore jazz as a performing/recording artist, composer, arranger, author, and teacher.

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