Gwilym Simcock (born 24 February 1981) is a Welsh pianist and composer working in both

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and classical music, often blurring any distinction between the two musical forms. Simcock was chosen as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

''. He was featured on the front cover of the August 2007 issue of the UK's '' Jazzwise'' Magazine.

Early life

Simcock was born in Bangor, Gwynedd. At the age of eleven he attained the highest marks in the country for his

Associated Board The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is an examination board and Charitable organization, registered charity based in the United Kingdom. ABRSM is one of five examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams ...

Grade 8 exams – on both piano and

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

. He studied classical piano, French horn and composition at Chetham's School, Manchester, where he was introduced to jazz by pianist and teacher Les Chisnall and bassist and teacher Steve Berry. He studied jazz piano at The

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, London with

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar may refer to: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 *John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) (178 ...

Nikki Iles Nikki Anne Iles (née Burnham; born 16 May 1963) is a British jazz composer, pianist and educator. Early life Iles was born in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, on 16 May 1963. She started her musical education at primary school, where she learnt to ...

, Nick Weldon and Geoff Keezer. He graduated from the

with a first-class honours degree and the "Principal's Prize' for outstanding achievement. Whilst at the

he studied with many renowned musicians including Milton Mermikides.

Career

In 2006, he was the first jazz musician to be selected for the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, and this was extended to 2008. It involved numerous broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 as solo performances, and his trio appearance at the Wigmore Hall during the London Jazz Festival 2006 (broadcast 7 July 2007). In 2008, he was commissioned to perform at The Proms at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

in London. He composed a Piano Concerto "Progressions" which he performed with his trio and the BBC Concert Orchestra on 9 August 2008, broadcast live on the television channel

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

. On 5 October 2008, he was featured in an evening at the

King's Place Kings Place is a building in London’s Kings Cross area, providing music and visual arts venues combined with seven floors of office space. It has housed the editorial offices of ''The Guardian'' newspaper since December 2008 and is the fo ...

Opening Festival in which he performed four concerts leading four different groups including a duo with John Taylor. His trio, which has performed at festivals and venues worldwide such as the

North Sea Jazz Festival The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival w ...

2007, now features James Maddren (drums) and

Yuri Goloubev Yuri Goloubev (born 27 July 1972) is a jazz musician, composer and double bass player.

(bass), while his debut album featured Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli,

Phil Donkin Phil Donkin (born November 1980 in Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. ...

Martin France Martin France (born 1964) is one of the top jazz drummers in the UK. He has recorded on over 100 albums and is a Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is sponsored by Paiste cymbals Career France began performing at the age of ...

and Ben Bryant. He was chosen by

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

for a solo concert performance and live recording at Klavier Festival Ruhr 2007. This concert was broadcast on WDR radio and 20,000 copies were given away as a cover mount CD in Germany's leading music magazine ''Fonoforum''. In 2011 his album ''

Good Days At Schloss Elmau ''Good Days At Schloss Elmau'' is a 2011 album by British jazz and classical pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock. Schloss Elmau is a luxury hotel in Bavaria. ''Mojo'' placed the album at number 43 on its list of the "Top 50 Albums Of 2011". It ...

'' was one of the twelve nominees for the Mercury Music Prize, ultimately losing to

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

's ''

Let England Shake ''Let England Shake'' is the eighth studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, released on 14 February 2011 by Island Records. Production began around the time of ''White Chalk''s release in 2007, though it is a departure f ...

''. He was a member of

Tim Garland Tim Garland (born 19 October 1966) is a British jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His compositions draw from modern jazz and classical concert music. Career Garland was born in Ilford, Essex and grew up in Canterbury, Kent. He starte ...

's Lighthouse Trio, however left in 2013 being replaced by John Turville. He was a member of Malcolm Creese's Acoustic Triangle, Stan Sulzmann's Neon, and Bill Bruford's Earthworks. He has also played with musicians including Dave Holland,

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

Bob Mintzer Robert Alan Mintzer (born January 27, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. Early life Mintzer was born and raised in a Jewish family in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 1953. He attended the Inter ...

, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Wheeler,

Iain Ballamy Iain Ballamy (born 20 February 1964) is a British composer and saxophonist. He is considered one of the greatest modern jazz saxophonists. Career Ballamy was born in Guildford, Surrey, and educated at George Abbot School, Guildford, from 1975 ...

Julian Argüelles Julian Argüelles (born 28 January 1966) is an English jazz saxophonist. Coming to prominence in the 1980s and '90s with the ensemble Loose Tubes, Argüelles has worked extensively as a solo performer and with American and European musicians. ...

Pete King Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ( ...

, Don Weller, Steve Waterman, and

Torsten de Winkel Torsten de Winkel (born 6 January 1965) is a German musician, composer, and philosopher primarily active in the jazz, world music, fusion and electronic music genres. He is known as an electric and acoustic guitarist but also records and perfor ...

/ New York Jazz Guerrilla. He is a founder member of The Impossible Gentlemen. He also plays French horn"The prodigious pianist reveals the music that gets his fingers twitching" ''The Independent''
/ref> and has played with the

National Youth Jazz Orchestra The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is a British jazz orchestra founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. In 2010. Mark Armstrong took over as Music Director of the flagship performing band, and Artistic Director of the organisation; Bill Ashton becam ...

(NYJO), the BBC Big Band, and with Kenny Wheeler on his 2003/2005 tour. In recent times he has been on tour with legendary US guitarist

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

in a quartet featuring

Linda Oh Linda May Han Oh (born 25 August 1984) is an Australian jazz bassist and composer. Biography Oh was raised in Western Australia. When she was 11, she started to play the clarinet and at the age of 13 bassoon. She went to Churchlands Senior Hi ...

and Antonio Sanchez.

Commissions/collaborations

* A commission to compose and perform a piano concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Proms 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall in London (''Progressions'') * A commission for a new work for the Aronowitz Ensemble at the

City of London Festival The City of London Festival was an annual arts festival that took place in the City of London, England, over two to three weeks in June and July. The Festival was strongly geared towards classical music, but also offered a programme that included ...

, July 2008 * A commission and recording for a piano concerto with big band with the NDR Big Band in Germany (''Hamburg Suite'') * A Big Band project at Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2007, broadcast on BBC Radio on 1 June 2007 (''The Lichfield Suite'') * A 2007 commission and tour with The Scottish Ensemble (Chamber Orchestra), broadcast on 1 July 2007 on BBC Radio Scotland and again on BBC Radio 3 on 12 October * Guest soloist on Mark Antony Turnage's commission with

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert in 1968—givi ...

for the re-opening of the

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The ...

, June 2007 * A commission for the

Britten Sinfonia Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the ...

, premiered at the London Jazz Festival 2007 (''Jackie's Dance'') * New Horn Sonata performed at the Wigmore Hall with

player Chris Parkes * Performed the première of Tim Garland's piano concerto with the

Northern Sinfonia Royal Northern Sinfonia is a British chamber orchestra, founded in Newcastle upon Tyne and currently based in Gateshead. For the first 46 years of its history, the orchestra gave most of its concerts at the Newcastle City Hall. Since 2004, the o ...

, May 2005 * A commission and major Arts Council-funded tour of cathedrals with Acoustic Triangle and Sacconi Strings, 2008 * Performing with his trio at the BBC Young Musician of the Year Jazz Award 2014 and 2016 with the finalists of the competition

Awards and nominations

* Winner of Perrier Award 2001: Young Jazz Ensemble * Winner of BBC Jazz Award 2005: Rising Star * Winner of British Jazz Award 2005: Rising Star * Nominated for Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2007: Jazz Musician of the Year * Nominated for BBC Jazz Award 2008: Best Instrumentalist * Nominated for BBC Jazz Award 2008: Best Album * BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist 2006–2008 * Nominated for Radio 3 Listeners' Awards 2008 * Nominated for Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2011

Discography

As sideman

* ''Catalyst'' – Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2003) * ''Close to You'' – Kathleen Willison (Basho, 2004) * ''Resonance'' – Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2005) * ''If the Sea Replied'' – Tim Garland (Sirocco Music, 2005) * ''Take me home'' – Kaz Simmons (33 Jazz Records, 2005) * ''Heart Luggage'' – Klaus Gesing (ATS Records, 2006) * ''Sax of Gold'' – Sax Assault (Astute Music, 2007) * ''Traces'' – Dan Stern (Kvetch, 2007) * ''Due North'' – Tim Garland (Jazzaction, 2007) * ''Reverence'' –

Spike Wells Michael "Spike" Wells (born 16 January 1946) is an English jazz drummer and priest. Biography Born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Wells was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School. He became interested in jazz after coming across a recording ...

(Audio-B, 2007) * ''Video Anthology Vol. 1: 2000's'' – Bill Bruford's Earthworks (Summerfold Records, 2007) * ''SGS Group, Inc. Presents'' – Simcock – Goloubev – Sirkis (Music Center, 2008) * ''Give It One'' – London Horn Sound (Cala, 2008) * ''Smoke and Mirrors'' – Tom Richards Orchestra (Candid, 2008) * ''3 Dimensions'' – Acoustic Triangle (Audio B, 2008) * ''Finally Beginning'' – John Warren (Fuzzy Moon, 2008) * ''Bimbache Jazz & Raíces – La Condición Humana'' (nyjg / ESC, 2008) * ''Howeird'' – Sam Crockatt Quartet (Loop, 2009) * ''Metafore Semplici'' – Yuri Goloubev (Universal, 2009) * ''Libra'' – Tim Garland (Global Mix, 2009) * ''Following On'' – John Warren (Fuzzy Moon, 2009) * ''The Impossible Gentlemen'' - (Basho records, 2011) * ''Internationally Recognised Aliens'' - (Basho records, 2013) * ''Let's Get Deluxe'' - (Basho records, 2016) * ''From This Place'' - Pat Metheny (Nonesuch Records, 2020)

As leader

* ''Perception'' (Basho, 2007) * ''Blues Vignette'' (Basho, 2009) * ''

'' ( ACT Music 2011) * ''Instrumation'' ( ACT Music 2014) * ''Reverie at Schloss Elmau'' Gwilym Simcock /

Yuri Goloubev Yuri Goloubev (born 27 July 1972) is a jazz musician, composer and double bass player.

( ACT Music 2014) Birdsong; Kizzy Crawford / Gwilym Simcock (Basho 2018) * ''Near and Now'' ( ACT Music 2019)

References

Other sources

* http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/0,1518,537613,00.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20080222093747/http://www.br-online.de/bayern4/sendungen/jazz/ * http://www.birminghampost.net/life-leisure-birmingham-guide/birmingham-culture/classical-music-birmingham/2007/11/29/britten-sinfonia-uncovers-hidden-treasure-65233-20180607/

External links

*
Profile on Basho Records website

Gwilym Simcock biography from BBC Wales

Profile at BBC Wales North West
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simcock, Gwilym 1981 births Living people Welsh jazz pianists Welsh classical pianists Male classical pianists Third stream pianists Welsh jazz composers Welsh classical composers 21st-century classical composers Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music People educated at Chetham's School of Music People from Bangor, Gwynedd Welsh male classical composers BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists British male pianists 21st-century classical pianists Male jazz composers 21st-century British male musicians Earthworks (band) members ACT Music artists 21st-century jazz composers Basho Records artists