About Emy

"...she has the charm, knowledge, technique, and creativity to make her a real contender."  Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz  

"Tseng’s lyrical voice can be wistful or joyous, depending on the song." Rad Bennett, Ultra Audio

Bay Area-based singer Emy Tseng is known as a foremost interpreter of modern and Brazilian jazz.  Her debut album Sonho (Dream in "Portuguese") was critically acclaimed by the national jazz press.  She is currently working on her second album called Love Fool, a collection of eclectic jazz and Brazilian arrangements of 80s and 90s pop songs with some of New York and DC's best jazz musicians including Hans Glawischnig (Chick Corea, Miguel Zenon), Klaus Mueller (Leny Andrade, Nilson Matta, Portinho), Alex Kautz, Matvei Sigalov and Q Morrow.  

Emy has performed extensively in NY, DC, Boston and the Bay Area.  She has sung at some of the country's top jazz venues including the Metropolitan Room (NY), Ryles Jazz (Boston), Blues Alley (DC), Twins Jazz (DC), An Die Musik (Baltimore) and music festivals such as the Boston Jazz Fest and the Strathmore Center's Sounds of Brazil.

Emy began classical piano at age four and started singing in high school. She continuing singing in chorus at Brown University while pursuing her degree in Math/Physics.  While in graduate school at MIT, she studied classical voice  and sang in early music ensembles in Boston and New York. After moving to New York in 2001, she "discovered" jazz, started hanging out in jazz clubs and studying jazz.  Hearing singers Luciana Souza and Paula Morelenbaum, made her decide to pursue Brazilian music as well.

Her subsequent teachers include world-renowned Brazilian musicians: pianist Marcos Silva (Flora Purim & Airto) in Berkeley, CA and bassist Nilson Matta (Trio da Paz, Joe Henderson) and drummer Vanderlei Pereira in New York and noted jazz singers Laurie Antonioli in Oakland, Sandy Cressman in SF and Aubrey Johnson in NY.  Her musical influences include Paula Morelenbaum, Luciana Souza, Elis Regina, Kate McGarry, Gretchen Parlato, and Tracey Thorn from Everything But the Girl.