Friday 16th November
ACT Night -celebrating 20 years of ACT Records

GWILYM SIMCOCK WITH CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA
Venue: St James's Piccadilly
Time (onstage): 7.30 p.m.
Ticket price: £35/£25/£15

City of London Sinfonia perform Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde, a story of creation based on African folk mythology, and two pieces by prolific jazz pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock: Simple Tales and Move, written especially for them.

One of the UK’s most dynamic orchestras, City of London Sinfonia are committed to delivering outstanding performances and unforgettable experiences in concert halls, schools, hospitals and diverse community venues throughout London and the UK. Founded in 1971 by the late Richard Hickox, the Orchestra is led by Stephen Layton (Artistic Director & Principal Conductor) and Michael Collins (Principal Conductor). Performing throughout the UK and abroad, the Orchestra makes regular appearances at all the major London concert halls as well as St Paul’s Cathedral and other venues in the City of London. It has been resident orchestra at the capital’s popular Opera Holland Park since 2004, as well as being a regular guest at major UK festivals. Away from the concert hall, musicians work creatively with schools and community projects through the acclaimed Meet the Music programme, with a particular focus on the field of health and wellbeing, including a long standing residency at Great Ormond Street Hospital. They also work innovatively with corporate businesses, offering creative approaches to professional skills training through the medium of music, with the groundbreaking Development through Music programme.

Gwilym Simcock, BBC Radio 3 Jazz Award winner and first ever BBC Radio 3 New Generations Jazz Artist, has been described as a ‘jazzier’ John Taylor, his style reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, his piano playing ‘exceptional’, ‘brilliant’, ‘dazzling’. His ‘harmonic sophistication and subtle dovetailing of musical traditions’ make him stand out as one of the most gifted performers and imaginative composers working on the British scene. Able to move effortlessly through jazz and classical he can at times inhabit both worlds. The music is engaging, exciting, often unexpected, melodically enthralling, complex and wonderfully optimistic. 

His magnificent 2008 premiere “Progressions” enthralled a sell-out Proms audience and many thousands more on BBC2 TV. His many commissions include work for Sacconi Strings and Acoustic Triangle, "Contours" for the Aronowitz Ensemble, "I Prefer the Gorgeous Freedom" a Norfolk and Norwich Festival commission for community choir and jazz quartet,  and "Simple Tales" for Britten Sinfonia soloists.  He composes regularly for the prestigious NDR Big Band in Germany as well as writing for his own solo, trio and quartet projects.

His 2011 solo album "Good Days at Schloss Elmau" on the prestigious ACT label has been lauded as "dazzlingly fresh", "world class", "stupendous" "phenomenal"  "a cause for huge celebration" and was nominated for the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize. His most recent album with ACT "Lighthouse" with Tim Garland and Asaf Sirkis has received rave reviews and he continues to tour with the brilliant supergroup The Impossible Gentlemen with Steve Swallow, Adam Nussbaum and Mike Walker.

“No young musician outside the pop world has moved as fast into the upper reaches of his profession as Simcock”. Stuart Nicholson, Observer

Artist website: www.cityoflondonsinfonia.co.uk | www.gwilymsimcock.com

Artist Facebook: www.facebook.com/cityoflondonsinfonia | http://www.facebook.com/gwilymsimcock

Artist Twitter: @CityLdnSinfonia | @bashomusic

Youtube link: www.youtube.com/user/CityofLondonSinfonia

http://youtu.be/t6GbGhLGUy4

Audio link: Listen to Simple Tales