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Niran Dasika

Born in Vancouver, Canada in 1993, Niran Dasika is an Australian trumpeter at home in a wide range of musical settings from the straight ahead to the avant-garde. Niran has performed at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Tokyo Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival and TILDE New Music Festival as well as regular appearances at venues around Australia with bands including the Monash Art Ensemble, Movement 9, and his own projects.

Niran completed his bachelor studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, studying with Australian jazz legends Paul Williamson, Scott Tinkler, Eugene Ball and Tony Gould. As a student he performed and recorded with musicians from over the world including Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Gerald Clayton, George Lewis, Django Bates and Paul Grabowsky. As part of Paul Grabowsky's Monash Art Ensemble, he recorded on several award-winning albums including 'Hexis' with George Lewis, 'Nyilipidgi' with the Young Wagilak Group, and 'Fabliaux' with Dave Douglas.

In July 2015 Niran released his debut album ‘Manticore (Phantom)’, which was shortlisted for ‘Young Jazz Artist of the Year’ at the 2016 Jazz Bell Awards. In 2015 Niran was also awarded the Monash Jazz Composition Prize. In 2017 he went on to record his second album ‘Silver Letters’ (2016), a collection of compositions for classical brass quintet and jazz rhythm section produced in collaboration with composer and conductor Mateusz Gwizdałła. In October 2017 Niran recorded his latest album ‘Suzaku’ with his Tokyo-based quartet, which was released in March 2018 in Japan through Apollo Sounds Records.

While living in Tokyo from 2016-2017 Niran continued to perform regularly both as a leader and a sideman. While based in Tokyo, Niran recorded on several albums including Kemono’s ‘Metamoru City’ (Sony Music Artists Inc), Epistroph’s ‘Monk’s Playhouse’ compilation (Blue Note Records), Shun Ishiwaka’s ‘Songbook II’ (YoungS’tonesRecords) and Akihiro Yoshimoto’s ‘Oxymoron’ (MOR Records). In September 2017 Niran performed with the Paul Grabowsky Quintet at the Tokyo Jazz Festival.In November 2017 Niran was awarded second place in the National Jazz Awards competition held at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival.

2018 saw Niran perform at the Tokyo Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Jazz Festival and Perth International Jazz Festival as well as international touring with the Shun Ishiwaka Trio, Paul Grabowsky’s The Gravity Project and his own projects.

Awards

Nominated for Freedman Jazz Fellowship 2019 2nd Place, National Jazz Awards 2017 1st Place, Monash Jazz Composition Award 2015 Shortlisted, Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year 2015

Niran Dasika Quartet: Suzaku

Read "Suzaku" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
May 15, 2018

Trumpeter Niran Dasika grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and worked professionally as a musician in Tokyo, Japan, during 2016 and 2017. But his music sounds European, like an ECM Records outing by a group out of Norway or Poland. Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko and his New York Quartet come to mind with “Seek the Middle Ground," the gentle, deliberative opening cut of Dasika's CD release, Suzaku. Like Stankos's group, Dasika's ensemble is a trumpet fronting a rhythm section. ...

“like birds singing in a placid twilight... glows with a luminescent reverence”. Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz.com   “Trumpeter Niran Dasika and Japanese pianist Sumire Kuribayashi delivered an exquisite set on Saturday afternoon, brimming with melody and stripped-back themes. Dasika’s tone was full- bodied and luxuriant, floating above Kuribayashi’s mellifluous piano.” Des Cowly, The Australian Book Review 

“a ravishing duo concert” Jessica Nicholas, Sydney Morning Herald   “This music was exquisitely beautiful, at times playful and also powerful” Roger Mitchell, ausjazz.org 