Three talented emerging musicians have been announced as the first Jazzlines Fellows.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Percy Pursglove, Lluis Mather and Dan Nicholls have been announced as the first Jazzlines Fellows at Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

We have received the following press release relating to the granting of these new Fellowships;

THREE TALENTED MUSICIANS ANNOUNCED AS FIRST JAZZLINES FELLOWS

Three of the UK’s most talented emerging musicians have been announced as the first Jazzlines Fellows at Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.  Dan Nicholls, Percy Pursglove and Lluis Mather were appointed by industry experts, including renowned UK jazz musicians, following a rigorous nominations process.  They will take up their Fellowships in March and can look forward to a year of professional support to develop their careers and further their artistic and creative potential. 

The Fellowships offer mentoring, advice and masterclasses, as well as assistance with artistic development through visits and high profile performance opportunities.  At the end of the twelve months, the Fellows will have created new compositions, showcased their work as part of the Jazzlines programme and developed plans to tour their work nationally, and it is anticipated that they will go on to make a significant contribution towards British jazz.

Tony Dudley-Evans, Jazzlines Artistic Adviser said, ?Awarding these first Jazzlines Fellowships is an investment in the future of three highly talented British musicians and we value the support of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation in enabling us to offer this transformative opportunity.  Their support also recognises Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s Jazzlines programme as a major creative force, supporting and nurturing new talent and positioning Birmingham at the centre of the UK jazz scene.?

Shonagh Manson, Director of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation said, ?This new initiative has been carefully shaped with Jazzlines’ expertise. The inaugural Fellows demonstrated a strong original voice, skill and commitment to their craft amongst a field of nominations from across the UK. It is testament to the thriving jazz scene in Birmingham that Dan, Percy and Lluis each have their roots in Birmingham, and I am delighted that this programme will provide further significant opportunities for them to develop and grow in the region.?

The Jazzlines Fellowship scheme is being supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation

The Jerwood Charitable Foundation is dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers. It works with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts.

Jazzlines Fellows

Dan Nicholls is a graduate of the jazz course at Birmingham Conservatoire and is now based in London.  He plays piano, keys and occasionally the saxophone.  He leads various ensembles, notably the London based Mirrors, the Berlin based Strobes and the Copenhagen based In Ruin.  Dan plays a key role in the Loop Collective, and has been instrumental in the planning and programming of two Loop festivals as well as programming the weekly Jazz at the Con session in Camden.  He also designs and edits the Green Chimneys magazine.

Lluis Mather is a graduate of the jazz course at Birmingham Conservatoire.  He plays saxophone and his quartet won the Dave Holland Ensemble Prize in 2009 and Lluis was awarded a Yamaha Jazz Scholarship at the end of his Conservatoire course in 2010.  Lluis continues to perform with his quartet, the Hans Koller/Mike Gibbs Ensemble, the Mike Fletcher Jazz Orchestra and many other groups.  He also works with dance companies, specifically with IDFB (Invisible Dancing, dir. Luca Silvestrini) and in dance education projects with Birmingham Royal Ballet.  He plays a major role in Blam!, the collective of jazz musicians in Birmingham.

Percy Pursglove is a graduate of the first group of students to take the jazz course at Birmingham Conservatoire and was awarded the prize for outstanding student at the end of the course. He plays trumpet, flugelhorn and double bass in varied contexts including with Vince Mendoza, Michael Gibbs and an improvising quartet led by Evan Parker. Percy is always in demand as a soloist and was featured with the Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra in their performance of the Gil Evans work Sketches of Spain taking the part played by Miles Davis.

The following were involved in the selection of the Jazzlines Fellows: Peter Bacon, Django Bates, Sara Colman, Tony Dudley-Evans, James Hannam, Richard Hawley, Dave Holland, Hans Koller, Shonagh Manson, Cathie Rae, Stan Sulzmann, Jean Toussaint, Mary Wakelam Sloan, Jason Yarde.

The Jazzlines Fellowship scheme is supported by Jerwood Charitable Foundation.  Three Jazzlines Fellowships are offered to talented musicians, aged 18-35, nominated by industry professionals based on their skills, commitment and potential to develop.  The Fellowships begin in March 2013 and run for one year.

The Jerwood Charitable Foundation is dedicated to imaginative and responsible revenue funding of the arts, supporting artists to develop and grow at important stages in their careers. It works with artists across art forms, from dance and theatre to literature, music and the visual arts.

Jazzlines is Town Hall & Symphony Hall’s dynamic strand of concert programming and inspirational education work from jazz producers Tony Dudley-Evans and Mary Wakelam, connecting people to jazz music. Launched in April 2012, Jazzlines is supported by a three-year funding grant from Arts Council England under the National Portfolio Organisation scheme. The programme encompasses live jazz performances at a wide variety of venues around the city, including Town Hall & Symphony Hall, and an innovative participation and learning programme.

Jazzlines is supported by the PRS for Music Foundation http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com

Town Hall and Symphony Hall are managed together by Performances Birmingham Limited, a Registered Charity No 1053937.  Between them, the two halls present an exciting and varied programme of over 600 concerts and events a year, designed to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds.  Over 500,000 people visit Town Hall and Symphony Hall annually, and almost 12,000 young people and 6,000 adults participate in the thriving Education and Community programme. 

Town Hall Birmingham re-opened in October 2007 following a £35m renovation funded by Birmingham City Council (£18.3m), Heritage Lottery Fund (£13.7m), European Regional Development Fund (£3m).

Supported by Birmingham City Council

Supported using public funding by Arts Council England