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Suresh Singaratnam

Suresh Singaratnam is a trumpeter of uncommon breadth - unique not only for the small crowd he inhabits as a virtuoso of both classical and jazz styles but also for the continuity and clarity of his voice across both idioms. When he began to study the trumpet at age nine, it never occurred to him that he might have to choose between the two.

Torontonian by way of Zambia (where he was born) and the U.K., Singaratnam boasts a background that defies classification as nimbly as his artistic taste. In eighth grade he asked a music teacher if she knew of anyone who played both jazz and classical trumpet at a high level and she steered him to Wynton Marsalis, two of whose records he promptly went out and bought. Suresh studied with Canadian trumpet virtuoso Norman Engel throughout high school, and even then exhibited an uncommon aptitude for the technicalities of the trumpet, besting pianists and string players alike to win the Scarborough Philharmonic Youth Concerto Competition at the age of 17. In his last year of high school he studied with Toronto Symphony trumpeter Barton Woomert, then spent a year at the University of Toronto studying with Chase Sanborn.

After one year at the University of Toronto Singaratnam transferred to Manhattan School of Music in New York City, a move whose tremendous impact on his life and psyche he chronicles in his recent album Lost in New York. Even though Singaratnam focused on the classical style in his early lessons (probably because the technique came most naturally) it was jazz trumpet he went on to study as an undergraduate. Suresh studied with jazz great Lew Soloff but continued his classical trumpet studies with the New York Philharmonic's Vincent Penzarella.

Applying for Manhattan School of Music's Master's program, Singaratnam switched hats again and was accepted with scholarship for classical trumpet. Orchestration studies with Paul Allan Levi and composition classes with Ludmilla Ulehla proved a powerful influence, and continue to inform his approach to composition. While in New York, Singaratnam sought the tutelage of Canadian Brass veteran Jens Lindeman and returned twice more to the artist whose records had fed his budding interest, Wynton Marsalis.

Singaratnam's dual album release in 2009 was the product of several years of germination. "Two Hundred Sixty-One, Vol. 1" is not an opening statement but rather an adult work, born of years refining technique and taste. Even the selection of repertoire bespeaks maturity, encompassing trumpet "standards" like Arban's The Carnival of Venice and Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of The Bumblebee, Paul Hindemith's vast and varied Sonata for Trumpet and Piano and transcriptions from the violin and opera canons. Similarly,

Suresh Singaratnam: Lost in New York

Read "Lost in New York" reviewed by Raul d'Gama Rose

by Raul d'Gama Rose
November 13, 2010

The breathtaking narrative of Lost in New York is couched in an abstract interplay between performers and their instruments, as they describe what must have been a most challenging newcomer's journey to that often forbidding city. Trumpeter Suresh Singaratnam's high-wire act documents every nuance with some of the most rarefied excursions to emerge from a horn. An astute observer of his own life and those around him, Singaratnam allows the angst of being, and observing, to permeate the heated rush ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Suresh Singaratnam

by AAJ Staff
October 23, 2010

Meet Suresh Singaratnam: Suresh Singaratnam is a trumpeter of uncommon breadth; unique, not only for the small crowd he inhabits as a virtuoso of both classical and jazz styles, but also for the continuity and clarity of his voice across both idioms. Suresh studied with Canadian trumpet virtuoso Norman Engel throughout high school, where he exhibited an uncommon aptitude for the trumpet, winning the Scarborough Philharmonic Youth Concerto Competition at age 17. After a ...

322

Album Review

Suresh Singaratnam / Gretchen Parlato / Jamie Reynolds: That Is You

Read "That Is You" reviewed by Mark F. Turner

by Mark F. Turner
September 29, 2010

The art of the ballad seems almost forgotten in today's environment of programmed beats, Auto-Tune and sampled music. But in the hands of three gifted young artists--trumpeter Suresh Singaratnam, singer Gretchen Parlato, and pianist Jamie Reynolds--the magic of intimate songwriting and beautiful music can still capture the heart as heard in the lovely “That Is You." Its warm ambiance is perfected: first by the trumpet's glowing introduction; then by Parlato's supple and poignant voice, softly pouring out heartfelt lyrics of ...

266

Album Review

Suresh Singaratnam: Lost In New York

Read "Lost In New York" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay

by Bruce Lindsay
July 30, 2010

Born in Zambia but brought up in Toronto, Canada, trumpeter Suresh Singaratnam is formally trained in both jazz and classical music, latterly at the Manhattan School of Music. Lost In New York is an album of original compositions that chronicles the young musician's early years in the city. It's a mix of experiences and emotions that are reflected in the tunes, which are divided into three groups of three to reflect the major changes in those early years.

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Album Review

Suresh Singaratnam: Lost in New York

Read "Lost in New York" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins

by Woodrow Wilkins
May 11, 2010

International in residency, Suresh Singaratnam is also multi-faceted when it comes to his music. Lost in New York, his third release, is an amalgamation of sound. Born in Zambia, Singaratnam has also lived in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. He revealed a hint of his eclectic interest when, as an eighth-grade student, he asked a music teacher if she knew any trumpet player who played both jazz and classical music at a high level. The ...

228

Album Review

Suresh Singaratnam: Lost in New York

Read "Lost in New York" reviewed by John Barron

by John Barron
February 11, 2010

New York-based trumpeter/composer Suresh Singaratnam makes his debut as a leader with Lost in New York, a well-conceptualized set of original progressive jazz. A recent graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, the Toronto native explores a musical landscape as diverse as his adopted New York home, toying with syncopated ostinatos, extended vamps, layered rhythms and straight-up bebop. Singaratnam is an agile improviser with strong technique who can manage his way through an up-tempo blues like “M104" and ...

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Radio

International Recording Artist, U-Nam to Host Weekly Jazz Series

Source: STAR PR
September 15, 2009

The Cellar Nightclub adds Smooth Jazz to their Line-up: The One Soul Jazz Series

International Recording Artist U-Nam will be hosting The One Soul Jazz Series every Sunday evening from 6PM-9PM beginning October 18 with Special Guest Oli Silk at The Cellar in Long Beach, California.

U-Nam will open the show with his 6 piece band of world renowned musicians and feature chart topping keyboardist Oli Silk. Olis current hit, Chill or Be Chilled from his current CD entitled, The ...
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