original release date: September 7th, 2024
We are exited to present you the latest release from pianist, composer & arranger Monique Chao with her Jazz Orchestra. An official release in China & Japan was on September the 7th, 2024. Now it is time for Us, the rest of the world to enjoy that wonderful music. Due to misfortune with the marketing procedures related to distribution & publicity on the American market the copyrights has been just granted and PR passed to us. So let’s help this great music not to get missed or forgotten due to bureaucratic battlefields misery.
About “Time Chamber” Compositions
1. Hollow
For jazz musicians, the sun, air, and water are the stage. Without the stage, their lives are just empty like a hollow drum.
2. Hyperbolic Time Chamber
Inspired by Japanese anime Dragon Ball where the warriors train their ability. Inside the chamber, both time and gravity are different from the outer world. After training, warriors can upgrade directly to Super Saiyans. This song was written during the global epidemic to describe how jazz musicians isolated themselves at home, practicing their instruments.
3. Women and Gravity
What if there was no gravity on Earth? Things would float away, also the numbers.
4. Melting City
All big cities in the world are like hot, bubbling pot, cooking good and bad, black and white, right and wrong. Do you happen to find them beautiful like I do?
5. Whale Fall
After each whale dies, its huge carcass will slowly sink. As it sinks, it is eaten by living creatures and it completes the marine food chain. This process is called “whale fall,” also known as “The last tenderness of the whale”.
6. Trophy
What’s so good about being a teenager? 1) you’re about to start an adventurous life. 2) even if you lose the game sometimes, eventually you will win. Youth is your trophy.
7. Chakra Marching
“Chakra” (Indo-European language in India) means “wheel” and refers to your energy points in your body. Chakra in Japanese manga series Naruto refers to a vital component in ninja world. It could be used to perform “jutsu”.
8. Chester Is Boss
Chester Bennington (1976-2017), lead vocalist
About Monique Chao
Monique Chao is a Taiwanese-Italian jazz composer, pianist, vocalist, conductor, and educator, celebrated for her innovative contributions to contemporary jazz. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she currently resides in Milan, Italy. Her remarkable achievements in music have earned her nominations in several prestigious jazz magazine categories. Among her accolades are recognition as a “4.5-star Album” and “Best Album of 2024” by DownBeat Magazine in the United States, as well as honors such as “New Talent of the Year” “New Jazz Band of the Year” and “Album of the Year” by Musica Jazz Magazine in Italy. In 2023, she became the first foreign musician to represent the annual image of the Tuscany Lucca Jazz Donna Festival. Between 2015 and 2025, Monique has embodied the essence of an inspiring spirit. She is consistently passionate about creating and deeply admires the adventurous journey of exploring music. One article perfectly described her: “Monique Chao, a unstoppable musician who steadily moves forward and nothing could stop her.” (Oct, 2020, Nuove Radici, Italy)
Educational Background
Monique’s musical journey began with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in classical vocals from the Taipei University of the Arts. Driven by her passion for jazz, upon arriving in Italy, she began studying in Milan, where she earned a degree in jazz piano from the G. Verdi Conservatory. She further distinguished herself by completing a master’s degree in jazz composition at the same institution, graduating with the highest honors (110/110 e lode con menzione). Her thesis featured a 50-minute symphonic jazz orchestra suite titled Formosan Way, a heartfelt dedication to Taiwan.
In the same year, she took on the role of student arranger and co-produced a concert at the Milan Conservatory in honor of female jazz composers, titled Il Soffitto di Cristallo (“The Glass Ceiling”). This achievement earned her an interview with Corriere della Sera’s prestigious 27º Ora column, one of Italy’s leading newspapers.
Professional achievements
Monique has been a prominent figure in the jazz scene, frequently traveling between Taiwan and various European countries to participate in concerts, workshops, and other artistic endeavors. In 2023, she founded the Monique Chao Jazz Orchestra, an 18-member ensemble based in Milan, dedicated to performing exclusively her original modern big band compositions.
She regularly performs with the Subconscious Trio and the Monique Chao Jazz Orchestra across Europe and Taiwan. Additionally, she collaborates with various ensembles, including the Monique Tiny Band, Monique Chao Quartet, Chaologists Quartet, Stringsology Trio, and the Subconscious Trio. Monique is also a highly sought-after big band composer and arranger.
In her career, Monique composed a piece for the Decatur Jazz Band, led by Jeff Chang in Washington. Their album, Colors, was recognized with the “Outstanding Performance” award by DownBeat magazine in 2024. That same year, she was invited to compose for the debut album of the prestigious Verdi Jazz Orchestra, led by Pino Jodice, featuring saxophonist Emanuele Cisi as the soloist. Since 2023, Monique has been a regular commissioned arranger for the One Song String Orchestra from Taiwan.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout her career, Monique has received numerous accolades, including:
- Winner in the Lugano Music Competition as an orchestra composer (2021, Switzerland)
- Finalist position in Jazz in Sardegna with Subconscious Trio (2021, Italy)
- Finalist positions in the Barga Jazz Festival as a big band composer and arranger (2021 and 2023, Italy)
- Finalist position in the Premio del conservatorio di Milano with Monique Chao Quartet (2022, Italy)
- Finalist position in Jazz in the Park with Subconscious Trio (2024, Romania)
- Finalist position in Carlo Gargioni Award with Monique Chao Jazz Orchestra (2024, Italy)
- Finalist position in JazzMi “Jam the future” with Subconscious Trio (2024, Italy)
- Winner of the One Song String Orchestra commissioned arranger (2023, Taiwan)
- Winner of the Premio 4e3 at CasmeneFest24 with Monique Chao Jazz Orchestra (2024, Italy)
- Finalist as One Song String Orchestra Composing Competition (2025, Taiwan)
Educational Contributions
As an educator, Monique serves as a jazz big band instructor at CPSM, affiliated with the Milan Conservatory, and teaches big band arranging and composing at the Sizhukong Jazz Music Academy in Taipei. Monique Chao’s dedication to her craft and her ability to bridge cultural influences have solidified her reputation as a leading figure in contemporary jazz.
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Time Chamber by Monique Chao Jazz Orchestra
Tracklist:
1. Hollow 09:35
2. Hyperbolic Time Chamber 06:20
3. Women and Gravity 08:43
4. Melting City 08:33
5. Whale Fall 05:39
6. Trophy 05:47
7. Chakra Marching 08:47
8. Chester Is Boos 08:37
Line up:
Saxophones
Andrea Ciceri, Gianluca Zanello, Davide Intini, Vincent Dupuy, Iris Galibariggi
Trumpets
Alessandro Patafio, Paolo De Ceglie, Tiziano Codoro, Valentina Cappello
Trombones
Giulio Amerigo Galibariggi, Oliseh F. Obiarinze, Carmelo Rizzo, Simone Capitaneo
Rhythm Section
Giuseppe Blanco, Dario Spezia, Michele Sannelli, Giacomo Marzi, Marcello Repola
Producer: Monique Chao
Recording engineer: Giuseppe Salvadori
Mixing & mastering engineer: Jason Huang
Album design: Lillia Kirilova
Image: Chris Gao, Arianna Ciattini, Laura Magistrelli
Recording studio: Officine Meccaniche (Italy)
Date: July 12/13, 2023