Gwilym Simcock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gwilym Simcock (born 24 February 1981) is a British pianist and composer working in both jazz and classical music, and often blurring the boundaries of the two.

He is a multi-award winner[1] and was chosen as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the Evening Standard He was featured on the front cover of the August 2007 issue of the UK’s leading Jazz journal Jazzwise Magazine.

Biography

Simcock was born in ##Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor##, ##Gwynedd### At the age of eleven he attained the highest marks in the country for his ##Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music|Associated Board## Grade 8 exams - on both ##piano## and ##Horn #instrument#|French horn### He went on to study classical piano, French horn and composition at ##Chetham's School of Music|Chetham's School##, ##Manchester##, where he was introduced to jazz by pianist and teacher ##Les Chisnall## and bassist and teacher Steve Berry# He went on to study jazz piano at The ##Royal Academy of Music##, ##London## with ##John Taylor #jazz#|John Taylor##, ##Nikki Iles##, Nick Weldon and ##Geoff Keezer###

He graduated from the ##Royal Academy of Music## with a first-class honours degree and the "Principal's Prize' for outstanding achievement#

Career

In 2008 he was commissioned to perform at ##The Proms## at the ##Royal Albert Hall## 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 ##BBC2## TV#

On 5 October 2008 he was featured in an evening at the ##King's Place ## Opening Festival in which he performed four concerts leading four different groups including a duo with John Taylor#

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 recordings that were broadcast 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##

His trio, which has performed at festivals and venues worldwide such as the ##North Sea Jazz Festival## 2007, now features James Maddren #drums# and Yuri Goloubev #bass#, while his debut album featured ##Stan Sulzmann##, ##John Parricelli##, Phil Donkin, ##Martin France## and Ben Bryant# He was chosen by ##Chick Corea## 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#[2]

He was a member of ##Tim Garland##'s Lighthouse Trio, however left in 2009 being replaced by John Turville# He is currently 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##, ##Bob Mintzer##, ##Bobby McFerrin##, ##Kenny Wheeler##, ##Iain Ballamy##, ##Julian Argüelles##, ##Pete King #saxophonist#|Pete King##, ##Don Weller #musician#|Don Weller##, ##Steve Waterman #musician#|Steve Waterman##, and ##Torsten de Winkel## / ##New York Jazz Guerrilla###

He also plays French horn[3] and has played with the ##National Youth Jazz Orchestra## #NYJO#, the ##BBC Big Band##, and with ##Kenny Wheeler## on his 2003/2005 tour#

Commissions/collaborations

  • A commission to compose and perform a piano concerto with the ##BBC Concert Orchestra## at the ##BBC Proms 2008|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##, 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## for the re-opening of the ##Southbank Centre## at ##Queen Elizabeth Hall##, June 2007
  • A commission for the ##Britten Sinfonia##, premiered at the London Jazz Festival 2007 #Jackie's Dance#
  • New Horn Sonata performed at the Wigmore Hall with ##Horn #instrument#|French horn## player Chris Parkes
  • Performed the première of Tim Garland’s piano concerto with the ##Northern Sinfonia##, May 2005
  • A commission and major ##Arts Council England|Arts Council##-funded tour of cathedrals with Acoustic Triangle and Sacconi Strings, 2008

Awards

  • 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 Artists scheme|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 #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#

As leader

  • Perception #Basho, 2007#
  • Blues Vignette #Basho, 2009#
  • ##Good Days At Schloss Elmau## #ACT, 2011#

References

  1. ↑ http://www#gwilymsimcock#com/allreviews#pdf
  2. ↑
    1. http://www#fonoforum#de/site/alias__fofo/cd-kritiken/jazz/459/jazz#aspx Fonoforum Official web site#
  3. ↑
    1. http://www#independent#co#uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/gwilym-simcock-the-prodigious-pianist-reveals-the-music-that-gets-his-fingers-twitching-850593#html "The prodigious pianist reveals the music that gets his fingers twitching" The Independent#

External links

Authority control
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.