Biography
Jazz vocalist and bandleader Lisa Thorson has refused to let physical disability shape her identity. Confined to a wheelchair since 1979, she has instead channeled her abilities across music and theater to spotlight barriers to access that confront people with disabilities. In 1992 the Women’s International Foundation of San Diego presented her with its Living Legacy Award. Four years later the Massachusetts Coalition for Citizens With Disabilities added its own recognition to a growing list that also includes multiple Boston Music Awards nominations for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist. In 1989 the Boston Encore Awards named her Humanitarian Entertainer of the Year. For five years she collaborated with Boston’s Adaptive Environments Center, developing initiatives that eased participation in the arts for individuals with special requirements, and she further advocated modifications that improved wheelchair access to area beaches. Early in the 1980s she authored the play Spokesong, which blended entertainment with education about challenges facing the disabled community. Over fifteen additional years she contributed to Next Move Theater, Very Special Arts USA, and Boston’s Mayor’s Commission on Handicapped Affairs.
Beyond performance, Thorson composes and arranges. For more than ten years she has directed her own quintet, appearing in concert halls across Italy, Canada, and the United States. The group features saxophonist Cercie Miller, drummer George Schuller, bassist David Clark, and pianist Tim Ray. An associate professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, she has also taught at Wellesley College, New England Conservatory, and Longy School of Music. She holds a master’s degree from New England Conservatory and a bachelor’s degree from Boston Conservatory. Among the artists with whom she has recorded or appeared onstage are Sheila Jordan, Herb Pomeroy, Bruce Barth, Valerie Capers, the Billy Taylor Trio, Harvie Swartz, Kenny Wheeler and the New England Conservatory Big Band, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Grossman, Linda Hopkins, and Max Roach. Her independent projects encompass JazzArtSigns, Boswellmania, and a partnership with Cho Yoon Seung. Filmmaker Cindy Marshall documented her advocacy work in the video Key Changes: A Portrait of Lisa Thorson.
Beyond performance, Thorson composes and arranges. For more than ten years she has directed her own quintet, appearing in concert halls across Italy, Canada, and the United States. The group features saxophonist Cercie Miller, drummer George Schuller, bassist David Clark, and pianist Tim Ray. An associate professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, she has also taught at Wellesley College, New England Conservatory, and Longy School of Music. She holds a master’s degree from New England Conservatory and a bachelor’s degree from Boston Conservatory. Among the artists with whom she has recorded or appeared onstage are Sheila Jordan, Herb Pomeroy, Bruce Barth, Valerie Capers, the Billy Taylor Trio, Harvie Swartz, Kenny Wheeler and the New England Conservatory Big Band, Jerry Bergonzi, Steve Grossman, Linda Hopkins, and Max Roach. Her independent projects encompass JazzArtSigns, Boswellmania, and a partnership with Cho Yoon Seung. Filmmaker Cindy Marshall documented her advocacy work in the video Key Changes: A Portrait of Lisa Thorson.
Albums