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The American soprano singer, author, conductor, musicologist, arranger, composer, and voice pedagogue, Tish Oney, obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University; her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance with honors from Ithaca College School of Music; and her DMA degree in Jazz Studies, Musicology, Voice Pedagogy, Choral Music with honors from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music (2007).
International performing artist, author, and composer, Tish Oney tours worldwide as a symphony pops and big band soloist, jazz vocalist, voice pedagogue, and musicologist. An avid arranger and composer, she has arranged several hundred pieces for jazz combo including contemporary jazz, Great American Songbook standards, and her originals. An esteemed conductor, she often works with professional, university, church or community choirs, vocal jazz ensembles, and solo singers as a guest clinician and master teacher.
Tish Oney produced her fifth major recording project in 2019–this time with John Chiodini (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums). This jazz album, The Best Part, is comprised of original songs by contemporary jazz composers in addition to three never-released songs with lyrics by jazz diva Peggy Lee. Each of her albums including Songs From the Heart, Sweet Youth, Dear Peg, and Forever Friend, were honored by the Recording Academy in several categories including “Song of the Year”, “Record of the Year”, “Album of the Year”, “Best Jazz Voice Album”, and “Best Improvised Solo”.
Tish Oney has performed and/or recorded with scores of renowned jazz artists and has headlined at hundreds of performance venues worldwide. She was featured as a big band/symphony soloist in the PBS-broadcast concert recorded at Galen Center in Los Angeles: “We Love Ella! A Tribute to the First Lady of Song.” She has performed as soloist with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Williamsburg Symphony, Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphoria, the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, Army Voices, Army Blues (Pershing’s Own), S.C. Bach, Greenville Chorale, and other outstanding ensembles. She has headlined at international jazz festivals, Las Vegas casinos, and major stages throughout the world. She has appeared as headlining performer at many jazz hotspots including The Jazz Bakery (Los Angeles), The Jazz Corner (Hilton Head Island), Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, and the off-Broadway Triad Theatre (New York). An experienced film, stage, and television actress, she imbues her live performances with dramatic power and warmth.
Tish Oney was honored in 2016 to win the Jazz Artist/Group of the Year award from the South Carolina Music Awards, and in 2015 her high school honored her among the inaugural five ‘Graduates of Distinction.’ She was lauded in the book The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide authored by jazz critic Scott Yanow. She was also honored as a USC Winter Scholar for her scholarly activity and was named a Robert G. Boehmler Visiting Artist at Ithaca College School of Music. A recipient of The Diane Warren Award, she earned two initiations (by faculty at both IC and USC) into national music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda for her musical excellence.
In addition to her full performing and recording career, Tish Oney has served higher education as a professor of music (voice and jazz) at nine universities and colleges, including Syracuse University's Setnor School of Music, Southwestern College, and Christian Heritage College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges (1995-1999), USC Thornton School of Music (2003-2007), California State University in Los Angeles (2003-2005), and most recently as Coordinator of Music, Director of Jazz Studies and Commercial Music, Director of Voice, and Director of Choral Activities at University of South Carolina Upstate (January 2012-June 2015). She has shared her skills and knowledge with several more universities and professional ensembles as visiting artist-in-residence. A renowned specialist in multi-genre singing, she adjudicates international singing competitions and runs the jazz voice program at ColaJazz Camp (Columbia, SC) and Furman Jazz Camp (Greenville, SC) each summer. She enjoys membership in NATS, ACDA, ASCAP, JEN, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Recording Academy. Several of her former voice students have enjoyed major careers on Broadway, as well as in opera, jazz and commercial music. Considered an expert in multi-genre singing, she has served the National Association of Teachers of Singing as a workshop presenter and master teacher of jazz, classical, opera, music theatre, and commercial styles. She teaches online voice lessons for professional and pre-professional singers throughout the USA and abroad. She also servea at Simpsonville United Methodist Church (Simpsonville, South Carolina) as Director of Music Ministries.
As critically acclaimed musicologist and bestselling author of Peggy Lee: A Century of Song, Tish Oney enjoys opportunities to travel and share her knowledge as part of the official Peggy Lee 100 worldwide centennial campaign. She was honored to be invited as musicologist/artist to the Grammy Museum panel discussion and toast for Lee’s 100th birthday (May 26, 2020). Following the worldwide acclaim for her book, she has been a guest on international talk shows “q with Tom Power” broadcast on the CBC, NPR, PRI, and Sirius XM networks, as well as “The Daily with Dave Hodgson” on Talk Radio Europe (broadcast to 120 countries). She is a frequent guest on talk radio, podcasts, and television, and has hosted her own podcast, “The Singer’s Muse” on WGJC in Greenville. Her second book, Jazz Singing: A Guide to Pedagogy and Performance, released in February 2022. A prolific jazz journalist and contributing author to The Journal of Singing, JazzTimes, and Classical Singer Magazine, she also writes a column titled “Anatomy of a Standard” for All About Jazz. Her diverse artistic talents combine to form an outstanding performing artist-pedagogue with exceptional technique, improvisational skill, and expertise. |
