Bria Skonberg

Bria Skonberg was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in 1983. She started with piano lessons in elementary school and switched to trumpet in her early teens. During her high school and college years, she performed at various jazz festivals with The 51st Eight and led the all-female Mighty Aphrodite Jazz Band. In 2006, Skonberg graduated from Capilano University in Vancouver with a degree in jazz trumpet. She studied under figures such as Warren Vaché. Early in her career, she led Bria’s Hot Five, inspired by Louis Armstrong, and also directed The Big Bang Jazz Band. She performed with Canadian jazz veteran Dal Richards and his Orchestra.

Skonberg moved to New York City in 2010. She has performed as a band leader and guest artist at jazz festivals in North America, Europe, China, and Japan. She co-founded the New York Hot Jazz Festival. Throughout her career, Skonberg has collaborated with artists such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, and Wycliffe Gordon. In 2017, she received the Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year for her crowd-funded album, ‘Bria’. Skonberg is also involved in mentorship and education, teaching jazz traditions through institutions like The Louis Armstrong House Museum’s educational programs. In addition to the trumpet, she also plays the flugelhorn. Her seventh studio album, “What it Means,” released recently, includes original compositions and classic material, recorded in New Orleans.

Her career progression reflects a dedication to both performing and preserving jazz. Skonberg has received numerous accolades including the Jazz Award of Merit from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2006, the Kobe Jazz Street Award at the Breda Jazz Festival in 2007, and the Outstanding Jazz Artist Award from the New York Bistro Award. She was nominated for Artist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2013 and received the Swing! Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2015. Her work has been described as versatile and imposing by The Wall Street Journal, appealing to both jazz and pop audiences.