About Youth Jazz Orchestra Commissions
Ten contemporary British composers each writing an original piece for young musicians. Rehearsed, workshopped and performed by ten youth jazz orchestras across the north in 2024-25.
We have united 10 of the most influential & contemporary jazz artists working across the sector with hundreds of young, ambitious & aspiring jazz musicians across the north of England.
We are empowering the next generation of composers to write & perform music that reflects their experiences.
We will contribute music to the repertoires of Youth Jazz Orchestras in the UK.
Two young composers - Flo Taylor and Richard Jones, are receiving mentoring from Nikki Iles to assist them in writing their own original pieces for the project (40 young composers applied for this opportunity).
A huge thank you to the composers for taking part and particularly to the young musicians and band leaders for taking on the project and working so hard on the music.
Contact the project leader Jo McCallum for more information about the project: jazzorchestracommissions@gmail.com
The Composers
Nikki Iles
Award winning jazz pianist and composer, Nikki Iles was a founder member of the innovative Creative Jazz Orchestra – working with Mike Gibbs, Vince Mendoza, Kenny Wheeler and Anthony Braxton.She has had a busy freelance career working with Art Farmer, Julian Arguelles, Claire Martin and Christine Jenson amongst others and also recording with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Tina May, Rufus Reid, Stan Sulzmann and Dave Holland.
Although well known as a pianist, composition remains a major part of her musical life with most recent work and commissions from the HR Big Band in Frankfhurt, The London Sinfonietta, Tim Garland’s Underground Band, The International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, Tommy Smith/ Kurt Elling, Helsinki’s UMO Jazz Orchestra and the post as composer in residence 2023 with the NDR Big Band in Hamburg.
With a parallel career as a much loved and respected teacher, Nikki is Professor of Jazz Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall Music and Drama and was recently awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s honours list for her work.
Mike Walker
Mike has performed and recorded with Steve Swallow, Dave Holland, Steve Rodby, Palle Danielsson, Arild Andersen, Peter Erskine, Adam Nussbaum, John Marshall, Bob Moses, Bill Frisell, John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, Vince Mendoza, Mike Gibbs, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Tal Farlow, Palle Mikkelborg, Mica Paris and Norma Winstone.
In 2008, Mike released his debut album Madhouse and the Whole Thing There to wide critical acclaim.In the same year, Mike was commissioned by the Manchester Jazz Festival to write a suite called Ropes, which featured a 22-piece orchestra and jazz quintet with Adam Nussbaum on drums. The suite was performed to a capacity crowd at the Royal Northern College of Music, and received a standing ovation.
Mike also writes for and co-leads The Impossible Gentlemen with the brilliant British piano player Gwilym Simcock and which also features Adam Nussbaum and Steve Swallow. The band has toured extensively in Europe and the UK and have recorded two albums.
Percy Pursglove
After graduating from the Birmingham Conservatoire’s BMus(Hons) Jazz course with first class honours, Percy obtained a scholarship to study on the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at the New School University, New York City.
Having recently completed his doctoral research project entitled: ‘Extending Choral Tradition: New Compositional Language for Generating Improvisational Frameworks’, Percy is now working with the NDR Big Band, Hamburg whilst maintaining connections to the freelance scene as an educator, composer and multi-instrumentalist performer.
Some of the most recent artists and ensembles with whom he has performed and recorded include: Bill Frissell, WDR Big Band, Vince Mendoza, Peter Erskine, Claudio Roditi, Phil Woods, Michael Abene, Pablo Held, Barry Guy, Elliot Sharp, Thomas Strønen, Amy Winehouse, Evan Parker, Steve Swallow, Jamie Cullum, Jeff Ballard, Chris potter, Django Bates, Enrico Pieranunzi, Dave Liebman, Elbow etc.
Dennis Rollins
A passionate performer and educator, British trombone player Dennis Rollins MBE has performed with artists such as Courtney Pine, Maceo Parker, Jamiroquai, US3, The Brand New Heavies, Blur, Monty Alexander, Pee Wee Ellis and Jean Toussaint, amongst others. As a bandleader, in 2006 his jazz/funk outfit Badbone & Co won a prestigious BBC Jazz Award in the Best Band category. In 2007 he picked up both Trombonist of the Year at the British Jazz Awards and Ronnie Scott's Jazz Awards. Dennis also won the 2008 Parliamentary Jazz Award for Jazz Education.
In his hometown of Doncaster UK, Dennis was given Honorary Freedom of the Borough in recognition of his successful musical career and for his constant inspiration to the region’s musical youth. As part of Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018, Dennis was honoured with an MBE for Services to music. Additionally, in June 2022 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Wales, UK.
Laura Jurd
Composer-performer Laura Jurd’s unique voice as an improvising trumpet player is at the heart of everything she creates. Her music celebrates and innovates the rich traditions of jazz and folk music, digging into something primal and earthy, whilst taking twists and turns that prove Laura to be one of the UK’s most distinctive composer-performers in contemporary music.
As a composer she has collaborated with, amongst others, the London Sinfonietta, the Festival of New Trumpet Music, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the Ligeti Quartet. She has performed throughout the UK, Europe and beyond with Mercury-nominated band, Dinosaur and under her own name, including at jazz festivals in Montreal, Molde and the North Sea.
Laura Cole
Laura is a Leeds based improvising pianist, composer and writer, leading her own octet, Metamorphosis. She holds a first class honours degree in jazz from Middlesex University and is currently developing her solo piano/poetry project, ‘As Warm As the Sun’.
Laura performs in other groups such as Orfeo 5, Johnny Hunter Quartet (performing on spoken word), Martin Archer/Julie Tippets Ensemble, Engine Room Favourites, Deep Tide Quartet and Corey Mwamba’s Nth Quartet.
Laura is also an active member of Fusebox in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, helping to curate and put on gigs at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds.
Rebecca Nash
Active as a performer, arranger, composer and educator, Rebecca leads her own originals project, ATLAS, as well as playing with other ensembles with musicians such as Dee Byrne, Nick Walters and Sara Colman.
Rebecca was selected for the Take Five talent development programme run by Serious in 2016/17. Recent musical highlights have included performances at internationally renowned festivals such as Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Bristol Jazz Festival, Cambridge Jazz Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Scarborough Jazz Festival, as well as many other jazz clubs nationwide such as Pizza Express Soho, Ronnie Scott’s, The Vortex, The 606 Club, and the Southbank Centre.
Rebecca is also active as a jazz educator on a national level, currently working for The National Youth Jazz Collective, Birmingham Jazzlines, Birmingham Conservatoire, and she also holds a jazz piano teaching position at Bristol Cathedral Choir School. Rebecca is also a mentor for Cheltenham Festival’s latest pioneering educational outreach scheme, MUSICATE.
Richard Jones
Richard Jones is a bass trombonist, composer and arranger from Pontefract, West Yorkshire. Currently residing in London, he performs regularly on bass trombone, tenor trombone and tuba across the country and overseas. Also a bandleader, Richard runs a variety of his own musical projects including; Cold As You Like Big Band, Five-a-Slide and The Richard Jones Quintet (A Tribute to George Roberts).
Richard has worked with many of the UKs leading orchestras/ensembles including Syd Lawrence Orchestra, John Altman’s ‘Hidden Man’ Big Band, Manchester Concert Orchestra, Abstract Orchestra and London Jazz Orchestra. He was also a member of the world famous Grimethorpe Colliery Band from 2017-20 and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO).
As an arranger, Richard has been commissioned by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), having had two of his arrangements played at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club with guest artist Tim Garland.
Phil Meadows
Phil Meadows is recognised as one of the UK’s most distinctive, creative and talented musicians. He is a saxophonist, composer, conductor and DJ, living in London and touring across the EU. Phil has been awarded the 2015 Parliamentary Jazz Ensemble of the Year, 2015 London Music Award for ‘Rising Jazz Star’, 2014 Parliamentary Jazz Newcomer of the Year and the 2013 Peter Whittingham Jazz Award. He studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Leeds College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama and is currently undertaking PhD research. He also played as lead alto in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra between 2011-2014.
As a composer/conductor his commissions have been performed by the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Engines Orchestra, as well as his arrangements being played by the Metropole Orkest and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Alongside his role as a lecturer at the University of Kent, Phil Meadows is part of the educational team with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, has been a tutor on the Falmouth University-Yamaha Jazz Summer School and has run educational projects both at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and in partnership with the Lancaster, London and Gateshead International Jazz Festivals.
Flo Taylor
Flo Taylor is a composer, arranger and saxophonist who recently graduated from Leeds Conservatoire with a First Class Honours in Jazz Composition. Flo has gigged as a saxophonist with projects including Amon Ra, Goddess Collective and Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band, which recently won the Peter Whittingham award. They have played in venues across Yorkshire – including leading Leeds venues Brudenell Social Club, Hyde Park Book Club and Belgrave – and further afield at festivals across the UK – Love Supreme, Manchester Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Tramlines and Soundcity. They compose for their own new project, drawing on their love of traditional music from around the world to write modern jazz with a folk influence. They have a passion for community music, working with young people and making music-making accessible.
The Youth Jazz Ensembles
1. Cheshire Youth Music for Life Jazz Orchestra https://edsential.com/…cheshire-youth-mfl-jazz-orchestra
2. Hull Youth Jazz Orchestra https://www.hullmusichub.com/hull-youth-jazz-orchestra
3. Wakefield Youth Jazz Orchestra https://www.wakefieldmusicservices.org/…wakefield-youth-jazz-orchestra
4. Leeds Youth Jazz Rock Orchestra https://artformsleeds.co.uk/music/…leeds-youth-jazz-rock-orchestra-lyjro
5. Sefton Youth Jazz Orchestra https://www.seftonmusicservice.com/…orchestras-bands-ensembles
6. Tees Valley Youth Jazz Collective https://www.tvms.org.uk/ensembles
7. Jambone (Gateshead) https://theglasshouseicm.org/make-music/…jambone
8. Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra https://wiganjazzclub.co.uk/…wigan-youth-jazz-orchestra
9. York Music Forum https://www.yorkmusicforum.com
10. Musica Youth Jazz https://www.musicakirklees.org/…musica-youth-jazz
