South African born performer, composer, director and arranger, Shannon Mowday has performed extensively throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and America with leading artists. She has led and recorded her own projects such as LILA, Galumphing, African Eyes (Oz), MØTE, Chi (Qi) and performed as soloist with all the major symphony orchestras in South Africa with her music. She composes for and directs large ensembles and currently leads a highly successful youth group, AOJO (Akershus og Oslo Ungdomsjazzorkester) Her playing is a combination of enormous power and high energy juxtaposed with extreme sensitivity and together with exciting and unconventional use of the lower woodwinds, she deliberately seeks to blur the boundaries of stylistic genres.Her compositions reflect her travels, her South African roots in subtle nuances; drawing from nature, folklore, life experience and also presenting important issues for social discourse such as Gender based Violence. Her newest project 'LILA' sees her unite with some of Scandinavia's foremost improvising and creative artists. Shannon Mowday on alto and baritone saxophones, contra alto clarinet, composition ; Helge Lien on piano; Johannes Eick on 6 string acoustic bass and Erik Nylander on drums.