Born in 1985, Champian grew up in Norman Oklahoma with her two loving parents, Stephen and Susan. Influenced at an early age by her father Stephen, a world reknowned Jazz trumpeter, Champian fell in love with Jazz. Surrounded by her father's musician friends, which included Clark Terry and Major Holley, Champian learned the language of the music firsthand. She began to study piano with her grandmother at age 5. As singing became more and more important, Champian began to play Jazz piano to accompany herself at home.
Champian's family moved to LeMars Iowa in 1994; where Stephen Fulton became the director of the Clark Terry Institute for Jazz Studies. It was here that Champian formed her first band. The members of the "Little Jazz Quintet" were all under the age of 10, except for the trumpeter - the elder of the group - who was 12 years old. The "Little Jazz Quintet" performed at many events in LeMars, including Clark Terry's 75th Birthday party.
After a short move to New York, Champian and her family returned to Norman Oklahoma in 1998. Champian's full attention turned to Jazz at this time, and by 1999 Champian was performing with her new band all around the region. 1999 included appearances at the Kemah Boardwalk Jazz Festival, the Corpus Christi Jazz Festival, and the Jazz in June Festival held in Norman Oklahoma.
2001 marked the beginning of Champian's stint at Maker's Cigar & Piano Bar in OKC. Maker's, and its owner Clinton Greehaw, were supportive of Champian while she grew musically as a professional performer. Makers made a wonderful musical home for Champian during these formative years. The Champian Fulton Trio would continue to perform at Maker's nearly every weekend through 2003, when Champian graduated from Norman North High School as valedictorian and made her move to NYC to attend SUNY Purchase Music Conservatory.
In New York City since 2003, Champian has been able to become a part of the Jazz scene. Besides leading her own gigs Champian has been able to play with some world-class musicians such as Louis Hayes, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess, and Lou Donaldson. You can catch her and her trio / quartet at a number of different venues in Manhattan including the Jazz Corner of the World Birdland, where Champian has held a steady gig for the past 3 years.
A perpetual student of Jazz piano and Jazz singing, Champian mentions Erroll Garner, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughn as some of her main influences.
Champian graduated from SUNY Purchase with a Bachelor of Music Degree in May of 2006. Her new CD "Sometimes I'm Happy" was released in September 2008 on Venus Records. She currently resides in NYC and performs with her trio, Fukushi Tainaka & Neal Miner.
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