Lesedi Ntsane
Lesedi Ntsane is a South African-born trumpet player who was introduced to the cornet whilst at the Salvation Army Church, where he later learned to play. Lesedi was born into a musical family, with a singing Mother, a Father who had spent some time with trumpet, and a Grandfather was the Director of one South Africa’s classic Musical unit, The Merrymaker’s Orchestra. Lesedi spent his entire High School career playing for the Springs Boys High School Brass Band, winning national Marching Band Competitions for Five consecutive years. He later enrolled at the M.C. Art Academy at the South African State Theatre and later enrolled at Tshwane University of Technology under the mentorship of Bernt Baumann, John Davies, and Kevin Davidson. He then joined an amazing South African outfit, 4 Seasons that was based in Tshwane, leading a number of their festivals and community outreach whilst holding the music banner high up. The band’s magnetic and powerful union led them to winning the Regional 2009 Puisano competition and later being selected as one of the two Provincial winning bands. He had the pleasure of working with great musicians and bands such as the Phatt Brass Big Band led by John Davies and The New Cool ensemble lead by Dan Selsick. He also did various sideman appearances with various groups and genres. The South Africa Jazz Foundation also featured him in 2010 as part of the Big Band with Gloria Bosman, Feya Faku, and Howard Johnson Lyne Arrialle. He had the privilege of working with bands like the Violent Femmes (2007) and in 2009 he had the honor of playing lead trumpet for O’Jays Sunshine Tour in South Africa. He graduated from Tshwane University of Technology with a Diploma in Music in 2010.
In 2011, Lesedi moved to New York City to further his studies at the prestigious New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where he had the privilege of private tutelage of Billy Harper, Jimmy Owens, Charles Tolliver, Cecil Bridgewater, Marcus Printup, Andrew Cyrille, Gerald D’Angelo, etc. He has performed in various venues such as the Museum of Modern Arts with Masauko Chipembere of Black Sunshine, The Brooklyn Museum with Zozo Afro Beat, The Shrine with Tamara Davidson, Ngoziy’lsee, Something Jazz Club with the John Foster Brooks Big Band, Joe’s Pub with Nomsa Mazwai, Osekre and the Lucky Bastards, The New School Afro Cuban Orchestra lead by Bobby Sanabria, Majesty and The New Vibrations around Brooklyn and the Lower East Side and the Bernard Linnette Quintet. He has also done some amazing film-scoring projects with L.A based composer, Bo Jacobson and some projects for Lalela Library Music. For the past two years he has been working at Jazz at Lincoln Center as part of the Webop Educational program and has had the pleasure of working with Riza Printup, Dr. Patrice Turner, Adam Platt, Anthony Lee, Vanessa Cruz, Tim Sullivan, Julian Smith, Harlem children Zone and Washington Heights Head Start program. He has represented the New School for Jazz as part of a Jazz Combo called “The New School swingers” which did a live Radio Broadcast at WBGO radio Station In New Jersey. Later he was given dates as a leader with initially a trio to play at Union Square Park featuring Francesco Alessi and Alexander Claffy and later a quartet for the Schools welcoming Party and various private events.
Since 2012, he has been able to consistently curate shows presented at Madiba Restaurant in Brooklyn where he has worked with Bakithi Khumalo. Stanley Banks, Tony Cedras, Anton Fig, Morris Goldberg, Maciek Shejbal, Zan Tetrokovic, Kyle Poole, Ian Bagette, Eden Ladin, Mike King, Jazzmeia Horn, Javi Santiago, Dororta Piotrowska, Wignall Ismel, Tshepo Puoane. He recently graduated at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music with a Bachelors of Fine Arts and has continued working as a band leader and collaborator.
