Song Yi Jeon, a South Korean singer and composer, weaves modern jazz harmony and odd meters with lyrical, memorable melodies. Trained in classical composition in Graz and jazz vocals in Basel and at Berklee, she became the inaugural Quincy Jones CJ&E Fellow and a Billboard Endowed Award recipient.

She has performed at major venues and festivals worldwide—Blue Note NY, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Moods Zürich, Jarasum Jazz Festival—collaborating with artists like Guillermo Klein, Jeff Ballard, and George Garzone. Her releases include Movement of Lives (2018) with her quintet and HOME (2022) with guitarist Vinicius Gomes, praised with 4.5 stars by Downbeat Magazine, and most recent album came out in July 2025 featuring a nonet with Korean traditional percussion music.

She was selected as a Rolex Arts Initiative Protégé for 2023-2024 working under the mentorship of five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves.

In today’s conversation, Song Yi will share how her global journey, mentorship, and devotion to improvisation continue to shape her voice as an artist and as a human being, and how performing in Los Angeles inspires her connection with music and audience alike.

https://www.songyimusic.com/
https://www.rolex.org/rolex-mentor-protege/current-pairs/music/dianne-reeves-and-song-yi-jeon
https://songyijeon.bandcamp.com/album/the-earthy-suites

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