Bio

Saxophonist and composer Yvonne Moriel is considered one of the rising stars of Austria’s jazz scene, and it’s no coincidence that she was recently awarded the Austrian Jazz Prize - and furthermore also commissioned to write and perform the grand opening concert on the main stage of the 2026 International Jazzfestival Saalfelden.

Having studied both classical and jazz saxophone, she quickly gained attention with her distinctive musical voice and compelling original projects. These include her quartet sweetlife, which combines jazz with dub and electronics and was selected as a New Austrian Sound of Music act for 2025/26, as well as the experimental noise-jazz quartet Nothing Causes Anything, where she performs alongside trumpeter and electronics specialist Alex Kranabetter and bassclarinetist Vincent Pongrácz, as well as drummers like Lukas König and Christian Lillinger. In addition to her own projects, she is a member of internationally successful bands such as Shake Stew and Christian Muthspiel’s Orjazztra and performs with Swiss Jazz Prize winner Christoph Grab, drummer Seb Rochford (Patti Smith, Yoko Ono, Sons of Kemet), with renowned Swiss Jazz Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles.

From 2022 to 2024, she was a monthly fixture at Vienna’s Porgy & Bess as a member of the stage bands led by Christoph Cech and Ralph Mothwurf. In collaboration with the highly creative viennese clarinetist and rapper Vincent Pongrácz, she also curated the 2024 season of the Vienna-based experimental underground concert series Synesthetic Wednesday. In the same year, she received the annual SKE scholarship for austrian composers and music creators. At the end of 2025, she released the debut album of her project sweetlife. The release was accompanied by extensive touring that brought her to the United States, Mexico, Thailand, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia, Albania, Spain, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. In 2026, sweetlife was also selected to represent Austria at Jazzahead!, Europe’s largest jazz showcase festival, playing for a huge audience including industry professionals from all over the world. For the opening of Jazzfestival Saalfelden in August 2026, a composition and concert commission awarded annually to one outstanding austrian artist, Yvonne Moriel will premiere a new project titled STRANGE MOTION where she plays alongside London-based harpist Miriam Adefris, greek pianist Antonis Anssegos, austrian bassist Manu Mayr as well french drummer Toma Gouband and Berlin-based drummer Max Andrzejewski.

“I see Yvonne Moriel and I expect nothing but the unexpected. And then I press play, to discover yet another interesting and captivating sound journey that the Austrian saxophone player and composer crafted!” (STEREOFOX UK)

“Jazz at the cutting edge” (JAZZTHETIK)

“Impressive debut. An artist one should keep an eye on” (JAZZIST NL TOP 3)

“The jazz saxophonist is currently a hot commodity in Central Europe” (AUSTRIAN MUSIC EXPORT)

“Yvonne Moriel’s sweetlife undoubtedly shape today’s European jazz.” (JAZZFUN)

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