Yut Quartet is a contemporary jazz project led by Hong Kong-born, Italy-based vocalist and composer Heidi Li, together with pianist Manuel Magrini, double bassist Massimiliano Rolff and drummer Antonio Fusco.
At the heart of the quartet is a dialogue between jazz and the musical and dramatic language of Cantonese opera (Yuequ). The project grows directly from Heidi Li’s artistic background. She began studying and performing Cantonese opera as a child in Hong Kong before later training in jazz in Italy. Yut Quartet brings these two musical worlds together not as a stylistic experiment, but as part of a personal and evolving contemporary language.
Its repertoire combines original compositions, reimagined traditional material, poetry and stories from China and Italy. Classical Chinese narratives and poetry meet contemporary jazz harmony and improvisation, while Italian literary and musical references become part of the same creative landscape.
The name Yut reflects this idea of crossing boundaries. It evokes both 粵 (Yue), associated with Cantonese culture and Cantonese opera, and 越 (Yue), meaning to cross, transcend or move beyond.
Active since 2024, Yut Quartet is recording its debut album in 2026, bringing together several years of artistic research and live development.
The quartet is available for festivals, theatres, jazz venues and interdisciplinary programmes, with particular focus on its 2026–2027 album presentation concerts and international touring projects.