Flora Carbo is a Naarm (Melbourne) based saxophonist who is quickly becoming one of the most exciting young artists in the Australian jazz scene. Flora’s practice explores the vocal quality of the alto saxophone and the improvisatory and compositional boundaries between genres.

Having studied with Julien Wilson, Melissa Aldana, Jim Denley and Scott McConnachie, Flora has performed extensively in Melbourne and around Australia and at festivals including Wangaratta Festival of Jazz, Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Stonnington Jazz Festival.

Completing a Bachelor of Music (Degree with Honours) at the University of Melbourne and the James Morrison Academy in 2019, she has worked with world renowned artists including pianists Barney McAll and Andrea Keller, as well composing and playing with ‘The Rest Is Silence’, ‘The Floor Is Well, Thanks’,  ‘Flora Carbo Trio’, ‘Magnify’ and most recently ‘Ecosystem’. Their debut performance of new works premiered at the Melbourne Recital Centre Salon in July 2021.

The Take Note Leader for 2022 (Melbourne International Jazz Festival), Flora was nominated for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2021, 2019 and 2018 and as a finalist for the Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year at the 2019 Australian Jazz Bell Awards. In May 2017 she won the James Morrison Scholarship at the Generations in Jazz Festival, in 2016 she was selected as one of the 10 finalists in the National Jazz Awards.

In 2018, Flora toured internationally with the ‘Company 2’ circus production ‘Scotch and Soda’, participated in the 2019 Banff Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music in Banff, Canada and is a part of the ongoing ‘Isolation Improvisation Collective’ restlessly creating throughout the pandemic.

Flora’s latest release ‘Arthur’s Walks’ was released in Feb 2022, ‘VOICE’ in 2020 and ‘Erica’ in 2018.

Interview with Nikos Fotaki s August 2018 http://australianjazz.net/2018/08/flora-carbo-striving-total-honesty/

‘Erica’ Review by Alex Raupach September 2018 https://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/erica/

“When I put on Flora Carbo’s debut record, Erica – my first time hearing her – my mind raced straight back to the last time I heard Bernie. The two moments seemed connected by a thread. It was not only that the music was good – though the best moments on the record are sublime – it was why it was good. It felt real.“

“Grounded jazz saxophonist plans to ‘dream big’ after lockdown” by Mikey Cahill April 2020 https://www.theage.com.au/culture/music/grounded-jazz-saxophonist-plans-to-dream-big-after-lockdown-20200427-p54nis.html