Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series’ The Notes Between’ with Lara Eidi. Conversations exploring everything behind and about the world of songwriting! Our theme music ‘Breathe Love’ is from Lara Eidi herself available here

In this episode, Lara talks to songwriterYumi Ito

Available on Spotify  Apple and all major podcast platforms

With her voice, Yumi Ito creates worlds far beyond all boundaries. The Polish-Japanese-born Swiss is considered one of the most outstanding representatives of vocal improvisation and moves effortlessly between genres and her roles as a singer, pianist and composer. Ito's own music is correspondingly diverse, a veritable ocean of art-pop, jazz and neoclassical music. Based on countless concerts and tours, the musician acts like a Zen master, clear, reflective and with a uniquely powerful energy.

Milestones in her career include performances at the Blue Note New York (US), Montreux Jazz Festival (CH), tours in Asia, South America, Europe and five released albums as a band leader, most recently the critically highly acclaimed Ysla (2023 via enja records).

Ito regularly fills international concert venues and festivals to capacity, including recent sold out shows at the JazzArt Festival at NOSPR in Katowice (Poland), the Veneto Jazz Festival at the legendary La Fenice in Venice (Italy), the Akbank Jazz Festival in Istanbul (Turkey), the Euro-Venezuelan Jazzfestival (Venezuela) and the ZOA Festival in Ardagger Stift (Austria). The prize winner of the Montreux Jazz Competition was selected for the Focus Year Program under Wolfgang Muthspiel at the Jazzcampus Basel (2017–2018), received the High Priority Jazz Grant from Pro Helvetia (2022–2024), and was unanimously chosen by the Jazzahead jury for a Showcase at Jazzahead in Bremen, Germany (2024).

Yumi Ito performs solo or with her band, which includes “drum poet” Iago Fernández, double bassist Nadav Erlich and guitarist Alessio Cazzetta. Always in focus: the creation of musical worlds in the spirit of boundlessness.

Athens born to Lebanese Canadian parents, Lara Eidi is an artist that thrives on being different. As an independent artist, singer and multi- instrumentalist, she has carved a path for herself that continuously aimed at reshaping and developing her voice as a storyteller. An accomplished and reputable singer-songwriter, pianist, recording artist and jazz- folk vocalist of her own accord based in London and Athens. Her music has gained her critical acclaim as a genre bending artist (BBC Artist, 2020), described as “a singer with true gift of a voice, a kind soul, and a captivating presence.” (Jazz UK). At the heart of her being as a multi-disciplinary artist, she is sought after as a composer for vocal film scores, writes as a freelance music journalist, and is in demand as a creative workshop leader. Her music seeks to elevate and heal, and as a result, she creates genre- defying songs with a great emphasis on story telling. Her latest album ‘Sun’, her long awaited debut album, is all about pulling the threads of her folk, acoustic rock and jazz-classical upbringing to her message of hope, empowerment, and freedom. As a soloist, her recent debut performance at the infamous Royal Albert Hall, singing select pieces from Greece and Lebanon form the Medieval Byzantine Traditions sees Lara engaging on a series of select and innovative performances with the SAUDHA Indian Classical Music Association. 

Lara Eidi website