ABOUT TESSIE OVERMYER

"Tessie has a gift that can't be learned: a natural flow for the future and the ability to speak the poetry of life and death through her horn." - Barney Mcall

Photo by Shane Rozario

Tessie Overmyer has established herself as one of the most exciting, dynamic saxophone players in the Australian jazz scene, rapidly gaining her recognition for a maturity that appears well beyond her years.

Originally from Newcastle, Australia, Tessie completed her Bachelor of Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she studied with Will Vinson (UK/USA), Kevin Hunt (AUS), and Jeremy Rose (AUS).

While in Sydney, she quickly became an in demand performer, playing alongside jazz luminaries including Harry Connick Jr. (USA), Will Vinson (USA/UK), Remy Le Boeuf (USA), Scott Tinkler (AUS), Sandy Evans (AUS), Mike Nock (AUS), and Barney Mcall (AUS).

Tessie has appeared as a guest artist with the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, as a member of the Australian National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and as a featured performer/composer at the APRA Art Music Awards. She has performed at the Melbourne Jazz Festival, the Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Festival, and the Perth Jazz Festival.

Tessie’s skill and musicianship have been recognised in the form of a nomination for the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship, a composer commission from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and in being selected as the Sydney Improvised Music Association's Sonic Futures artist for 2023. Recently, she was awarded 2nd place in the Australian National Jazz Awards saxophone competition.

Tessie leads several of her own projects. These include her trio, quartet, quintet, and septet, which all play her original music. She recently recorded an album of original compositions with her septet, which will be released on Earshift Music in 2025.

Tessie is currently living in New York City, after recently relocating to study a Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM).

“Tessie left no doubt that at 23 she is already an established star of the Australian music scene whose name deserves to be spoken with the same reverence as those of Bernie McGann, David Ades, Sandy Evans, Troy Roberts and Dale Barlow.” - Julien Wilson