Time Traveling with Monique Zhang
Featuring the Moniko Stride Duo (By Monique Zhang & Niko Zontini & Friends
“Time traveling with Monique Zhang”
Featuring The Moniko Stride Duo (by Monique Zhang & Niko Zontini) & Friends
Jazz/stride pianist and vintage jazz composer Monique invites you a night with story-driven performances inspired by Jazz & Swing Era entertainments. Let’s stride on, tap your feet and swing!
A vintage jazz night in the Boston jazz scene. Stride piano is rare, a jazz duo with stride piano & tuba is niche.
Date: 04/12 (Sunday), 2026
Doors open at 7PM
Location: Piano Craft Gallery (793 Tremont St Boston, MA 02118)
Time: 7:20 - 8PM; Intro to early jazz & stride style, a mini workshop by Monique Zhang
8:15 - 10PM; Show and live music by Monique, The Moniko Stride Duo & friends (There’s a break between sets)
Tickets: 5$ (Intro to early jazz);
15$ show (General admission), 10$ show (Students)
Dresscode: Vintage, fun, classic, dress to impress
Seating: Seated & Standing
Genre: Jazz, swing
About Monique Zhang
A classically trained, multi-genre pianist and vintage jazz composer specializing in stride piano, Jazz and Swing era performance.
Monique was introduced early to classic jazz through vintage animation, Golden Age Hollywood films and dances as a kid. She discovered jazz more deeply and soon found her passion in stride piano during teenage years.
Entirely self-taught by ears in stride style, Monique began composing original vintage-inspired music during her undergraduate studies at Berklee College of Music, developing a sound that blends authenticity, playfulness with some jazz ideas and making the sound personal as “the Monique way".
Blues, vintage funk and vintage R&B are additional influences in Monique's improvisations.
Born in the 2000s, Monique carries a strong vintage spirit as a modernist artist. Her idiosyncratic musical identity and dedication to early jazz have made her stand out as the only pianist at Longy School of Music specializing in vintage jazz within the college's history.
Besides piano. Monique is a trumpeter, vintage stylist, artist, and dancer. Creative identities that continue to shape her music and stage presence.
Monique is also a current swing-era pianist with Beantown Swing Orchestra and leads The Moniko Stride Duo - A brand new, unusual jazz duo with a rare instrumentation known for their story-driven performances with passion and creativity.
About Niko Zontini
Niko Zontini is a multi-genre low brass musician, multi-instrumentalist and one of the few tuba players at Berklee College of Music.
Through collaborations with jazz & stride pianist Monique, Niko has been diving into vintage jazz and stride-inspired phrasing, developing a personal "stride tuba" approach.
Niko is a key inspiration for Monique and her latest jazz works which forms the creative bond and direction for their new jazz duo with vintage and modern spirits - The Moniko Stride Duo.
About The Moniko Stride Duo
Founded in November 2025, The Moniko Stride Duo is the only stride piano & tuba duo in New England by two young jazz musicians.
The duo specializes in: Jazz & Swing era classics, trad/dixieland, blues, Monique's vintage jazz compositions & many more.
Why “Moniko”?
We've got almost the same full name — Monique/Zhang & Niko/Zontini. We share a deep love for vintage jazz, time-travel aesthetics, early jazz style & entertainment.
Put those all together and you get Moniko!
Monique Zhang - Duo leader, pianist, arranger, composer
Niko Zontini - Tuba player, co-composer
How The Moniko met:
Monique & Niko met in spring 2025 performing “The Famous Charleston Melody” together as part of a guest band. Niko quickly recognized Monique as a stride pianist while Monique was struck by Niko's powerful and personality-filled tuba playing.
A few months later, they reunited musically. Monique invited Niko to join her original vintage-jazz showcase at the Unplayed/Unheard Jazz & Contemporary Music Concert at Longy School of Music as our 1st duo public appearance.
The stride piano & tuba duo of Monique & Niko became an immediate public favorite.
“Stride piano with tuba by young musicians. Absolutely unique and beautifully synchronized!”
From that moment on, Monique & Niko became an official jazz duo. Stride hands & a happy tuba, here we go!
Friends/guest musicians
Angel Celiz-Perez: Guitar
Roy Jurado - Drums & voice
Junhao Zhang - Drums
For more guest musicians, TBA
