Steppin’ Out Jazz Trio – Salute to the Great Jazz Divas

Alice Ayvazian received her Bachelor Degree in Vocal Performance from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts, a Master in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary University, San Antonio, Texas and a second Master’s in Classical Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Since returning to Cyprus, she has established her reputation as an active figure in the local jazz scene performing alongside with some of the best musicians in Cyprus. She is the lead vocalist of the Steppin Out Jazz Band with Konstantinos Efraimidis (clarinet/saxophone) and Dimitris Miaris (piano). A member of the Cyprus Voice Centre, Alice is also a sought-after clinician and vocal coach.  She is currently instructor of Jazz Voice at the Department of Music and Dance at the University of Nicosia and the Director of the University’s Jazz Choir (since 2011). She is also a voice instructor at the Musicopolis music school.

Konstantinos Efraimidis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1986. He started his classical studies at the age of 12. He is a classically trained clarinetist who received his diploma from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. He is currently continuing his music studies in Jazz Performance under the instruction of saxophonist Charis Ioannou at the University of Nicosia. Since moving to Cyprus, he has become an active member of the local music scene. He is a member of the Avanti Crossover Symphonic Orchestra, a member of the Steppin’ out Jazz Trio with Alice Ayvazian (voice) and Dimitris Miaris (piano), and with a gypsy jazz band: The Hot Club of Cyprus.

Dimitris Miaris was born in Nicosia in 1991. He started playing classical piano from 6 years old. At the age of 16 Dimitris had his first connection with Jazz through the “Jazz Futures” workshops that took place in Nicosia with great musicians such as Sacha Perry, Vahagn Hayrapetyan, Ari Roland and Chris Byars. Since then he took part in almost all the “Jazz Futures” workshops and had various live performances in Cyprus and Greece. He is also a member of ‘Neorebetes’, a Greek traditional band, where he plays the accordion. The band has performed in Cyprus, Greece, Kazan (Russian), Sydney and Melbourne (Australia). He received his Bachelor Degree for Jazz Piano at the Ionian University’s Jazz Department in 2009 under the instruction of George Kontrafouris.