Vocalist and composer Brianna Rancour-Ibarra, 19, is a student at Azusa Pacific University (College of Music and Arts) and a graduate of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Playing piano and composing since she was five years old, she started singing formally at the age of 10, studying classical and jazz under the direction of Marisa Rawlins-Bradfield. As a vocalist, she received first place in the Jack Gard Music Competition for Jazz Voice; a Young Arts Honorable Mention for Jazz Voice; and an Outstanding Soloist Award at Monterey’s Next Generation Jazz Festival with the award-winning LACHSA Vocal Jazz Ensemble. At LACHSA, she had the honor of being the student director of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Pat Bass, winning first place at the 2011 Next Generation Jazz Festival. As an instructor, Brianna has taught for the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affair’s Music LA in 2012; has taught voice and pino to middle and high school students; and rhythm, theory, guitar, and singing to elementary school kids.
As a composer, Brianna attended 2011 California State Summer School for the Arts at CalArts and studied with Ralph Jones, Kamau Kenyatta, John Stephens, and Alexander Overington. While attending, she received the Herb Alpert Music Scholarship.
She performs original music and more with her band and songwriting duo Portman Two, comprised of GRAMMY® Jazz Sessions singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mark Mekailian, and drummer Daniel Venz, performing locally at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, South Pasadena Music Center, Pasadena Levitt Pavilion and more. Brianna also played bass and sang vocals for the R&B/pop/jazz group Jam Syndicate, which has performed at the Club Nokia, the House of Blues, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and others. She has also had the honor of singing with Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Ozomatli, Candace Glover, Kree Harrison, Angie Miller, Lisa Henry, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano, Gustavo Dudamel and many more.
She was the 2013 vocalist of the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and toured the East Coast in the summer of 2013 and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2013. She was selected as one out of all applicants form all over the country to sing with this big band comprised of some of the best young jazz musicians in the country. On tour she performed at the Jazz Standard in New York City, Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, Berklee College of Music in Boston and the main stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
She is an avid choral singer and has not only sung in university choirs at APU but has sung at the Walt Disney Concert hall for the John Williams Gala, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel with the LA Philharmonic and at the Disney's Candlelight Choral Festival at Disneyland.
Brianna studies commercial music with an emphasis in composing and arranging at Azusa Pacific University. She is actively involved in the university's Vocal Jazz Choir, jazz combos, Jazz ensemble (big band) and University Choir and Orchestra as well as other student bands on campus.
As a composer, Brianna attended 2011 California State Summer School for the Arts at CalArts and studied with Ralph Jones, Kamau Kenyatta, John Stephens, and Alexander Overington. While attending, she received the Herb Alpert Music Scholarship.
She performs original music and more with her band and songwriting duo Portman Two, comprised of GRAMMY® Jazz Sessions singer and multi-instrumentalist, Mark Mekailian, and drummer Daniel Venz, performing locally at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, South Pasadena Music Center, Pasadena Levitt Pavilion and more. Brianna also played bass and sang vocals for the R&B/pop/jazz group Jam Syndicate, which has performed at the Club Nokia, the House of Blues, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and others. She has also had the honor of singing with Josh Groban, Barry Manilow, Ozomatli, Candace Glover, Kree Harrison, Angie Miller, Lisa Henry, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Lovano, Gustavo Dudamel and many more.
She was the 2013 vocalist of the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, and toured the East Coast in the summer of 2013 and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2013. She was selected as one out of all applicants form all over the country to sing with this big band comprised of some of the best young jazz musicians in the country. On tour she performed at the Jazz Standard in New York City, Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, Berklee College of Music in Boston and the main stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
She is an avid choral singer and has not only sung in university choirs at APU but has sung at the Walt Disney Concert hall for the John Williams Gala, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel with the LA Philharmonic and at the Disney's Candlelight Choral Festival at Disneyland.
Brianna studies commercial music with an emphasis in composing and arranging at Azusa Pacific University. She is actively involved in the university's Vocal Jazz Choir, jazz combos, Jazz ensemble (big band) and University Choir and Orchestra as well as other student bands on campus.