TONY YANG TRIO
Tony Yang began playing guitar at the age of nine. He graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in 2024 and is currently a first-year student studying Jazz and Improvisation at the University of Melbourne (Victorian College of the Arts), where he continues to develop his artistic voice with strong institutional support.
Tony regularly travels to New York to immerse himself in the international jazz scene and has studied extensively with world-renowned guitarist Mike Moreno. He has received a scholarship to attend the University of Melbourne, recognising his artistic promise and commitment to jazz.
Dedicated to jazz, Tony has spent years immersed in the jazz repertoire and performs regularly around Melbourne. Since 2023, he has been a member of the Melbourne Youth Jazz Orchestra and is an active presence in the city’s jazz scene, appearing at prestigious venues such as Uptown Jazz Café and Paris Cat Jazz Club, alongside Australia’s top-tier musicians including James Sherlock, Carl Mackey, Danny Fischer, and Ben Hanlon.
Tony has earned significant recognition as a young artist, including second place in the VCASS Outstanding Soloist Competition, becoming the first jazz guitarist in the school’s history to receive the award. He has been featured as a soloist with the Daryl Mackenzie Jazz Orchestra and was selected as a finalist for the James Morrison Scholarship, performing at Mount Gambier.
His primary musical influences include guitarists James Sherlock and Mike Moreno, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Tony has studied extensively with James Sherlock and other leading Melbourne jazz musicians, including saxophonist Tony Hicks and pianist Mark Fitzgibbon. Blending emotional depth with technical clarity, Tony continues to shape a personal sound that connects audiences across cultures.