Cycle Sounds

After dedicating 13 years to classical piano and earning top prizes in prestigious international competitions — including the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition — Yuyang Gao has established himself as a highly accomplished performer. Building on this formidable technical foundation, he transitioned to the world of jazz, seeking to explore new artistic frontiers and expressive possibilities.
Rooted in bebop and blues, Gao carries classical training's structural discipline into jazz's spontaneous freedom. His phrasing is theory-driven and precise, his touch clean and unclouded, enriched throughout by complex contrapuntal ideas.

Committed to continuous artistic growth, he has studied under some of the most respected masters of the modern jazz era, including Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch, Joanne Brackeen, Jesus Molina, John Patitucci, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. He is particularly influenced by the contrapuntal language and lyrical depth of Mehldau and Hersch, whose approaches to inner voice leading have profoundly shaped his musical philosophy. His exploration of the solo piano repertoire includes innovative reinterpretations of complex works such as John Coltrane's "Countdown," through which he investigates new structural possibilities in improvisation.

Beyond the keyboard, Gao is one of China's most active young writers. An avid reader of philosophy, literature, and psychoanalysis — with a particular focus on the Lacanian tradition — his academic papers are currently under consideration for publication by journals affiliated with New York University. This intellectual depth significantly informs his musical vision, allowing him to develop original perspectives on sound and structure.
Inspired by the synthesis of poetry and music in Jim Morrison's An American Prayer, Gao has conceived the innovative concept of "Poetry on Jazz." This artistic approach seeks to merge literary expression with improvisational language, creating a multidimensional dialogue between word and sound. Having performed extensively in Shanghai and Boston, he is truly honored to bring his artistic presence to the stage in Japan.

Gilberto Moretti-Hamilton is an up-and-coming drummer and multi-instrumentalist from New York City. Raised in a musical family with roots in the Caribbean and Italy, he plays with deep swing, a refined touch, and a modern edge running through everything he hits. Grounded in tradition yet always chasing new sounds and grooves, he's one of contemporary music's most distinctive young voices.
He has performed and worked with a diverse array of esteemed artists, including bassists Lonnie Plaxico and Matt Garrison, saxophonist Tia Fuller, and guitarist Mark Whitfield. His talent has taken him to some of the world's most prestigious stages, such as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In addition to his mastery of rhythm, Gilberto's musical foundation is deeply academic; he trained as a classical percussionist at The Juilliard School's Pre-College program and has worked under the baton of the celebrated conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
An active force on the NYC scene, Gilberto performs regularly with his own band at iconic venues including The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, and The Cutting Room. He continues to carve out his path, bringing a fresh and powerful energy to the global jazz landscape.