Bio
Born and raised in a small city on Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, Guy Sion started playing the saxophone at the age of nine. At thirteen, he joined his city youth band and toured Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and China. That was also the year when Guy was introduced to jazz. In 1998, he attended the Jazz Summer Workshop in Perugia, Italy, winning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. In 2000, he continued his higher studies at Rimon School of Music and was active in the Israeli jazz scene. He performed at different venues and festivals across Israel with his own group and with various big bands.
In 2002, Guy relocated to the Netherlands to begin his studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. During his studies, he performed regularly at jazz clubs and cafés around town. He was part of the house band for three years in the monthly festival ‘Breathing Bijlmer,’ a festival that introduces new talents in a multicultural setting. In April and May of 2003, he toured with Dutch theatre actress Jetty Mathurin in the ‘Mathurin Meets Music’ Tour. In 2004, he also joined the Amsterdam-based band "Or Le Israel," which performed different styles of music from Pop to Klezmer across Europe.
In December 2005, after graduating, Guy moved to New York City. Inspired by the city’s life and rich music scene, he continued to develop his own voice, composition, and arranging skills. During those years, he played at various music venues across the city and worked as a saxophone teacher. In May 2009, he was invited to perform a solo piece from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (NASO). In 2010, he released his first album, "Half the Battle," featuring six original compositions inspired by his time in NYC.
In late 2010, Guy relocated to Oslo, Norway, and began working as a music teacher in the Oslo area. In July 2011, he performed at Molde Jazz Festival with his Lennie Tristano tribute band 'Crosscurrent.' In 2012, he released his second album, "Away," featuring Norwegian guitarist Bjørn Vidar Solli, which received positive reviews in Allaboutjazz.com and Norwegian media.
Since 2013, Guy has played the first alto chair with both Primetime Orchestra (Bærum) and Ett Fett Storband (Lillestrøm). Since 2021, he has served as the first alto saxophonist for Sandvika Storband, led by Eckhard Baur. He has also collaborated with several big bands, including High Tunes Orchestra, Skedsmo Storband, Det Nye Norske Storband, Sandefjord Storband, Bislett Big Band, Birkelunden Big Band, and Føyka Storband.
Since 2016, Guy has been a member of Sharp 9, a band formed by Staffan William Olson in 2004, which performs a mix of bebop, West Coast jazz, Latin, and funk. Sharp 9 also occasionally serves as the brass section for Norwegian artist Øystein Sunde, with whom they have been playing since 2018.
In 2020, Guy began playing with Dried Reeds, a group formed during the "dry period" of the pandemic. The band’s unique lineup, consisting of two saxophones, bass, and drums, explores creative musical possibilities and the blending of melodic lines from Bird to Dolphy.
Guy is also a member of the experimental electro-acoustic band Tayos, alongside guitarist Eirik Berg Svela and drummer Xander Crook. The project blends acoustic instruments with electronic music, defying traditional genre categorization.
In November 2023, Guy participated in a KORK-NRK production at Folketeateret for Musikalfest Med Kork, performing two concerts featuring music from musicals.
Guy’s diverse musical projects continue to evolve, with a focus on creativity and collaboration across genres and settings.
