Gwilym Simcock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gwilym Simcock
Background information
Born	(1981-02-24) 24 February 1981 (age 44) Bangor, Gwynedd, U.K.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	2000s–present

Gwilym Simcock (born February 24, 1981) is a talented Welsh musician. He plays the piano and writes music. Gwilym is known for his work in both jazz and classical music.

He was once named one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London. He also appeared on the front cover of Jazzwise magazine in August 2007.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Gwilym Simcock was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, a town in Wales. He started playing music at a young age. When he was eleven, he achieved the highest scores in the country for his piano and French horn exams. These were given by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

He studied classical piano, French horn, and composition at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester. There, he discovered jazz music. His teachers, Les Chisnall and Steve Berry, introduced him to this exciting style. Later, he studied jazz piano at The Royal Academy of Music in London. He learned from famous jazz musicians like John Taylor. Gwilym graduated with honors and won a special award for his amazing achievements.

Music Career Highlights

In 2006, Gwilym made history. He was the first jazz musician chosen for the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme. This program helps young musicians by giving them chances to perform on BBC Radio 3. He played solo and with his trio at the Wigmore Hall during the London Jazz Festival.

In 2008, Gwilym was asked to perform at The Proms. This is a very famous music festival held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He wrote a special piece called "Progressions" for piano and orchestra. He performed it with his trio and the BBC Concert Orchestra. It was even shown live on the television channel BBC Two.

Gwilym has performed in many places. In October 2008, he played four different concerts at the King's Place Opening Festival. He even played a duet with his former teacher, John Taylor.

His own trio, which includes James Maddren on drums and Yuri Goloubev on bass, has played at big events worldwide. One of these was the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2007.

A famous jazz musician named Chick Corea chose Gwilym for a solo concert in 2007. This concert was recorded live and broadcast on the radio. Thousands of copies were also given away with a German music magazine.

Gwilym has been part of several musical groups. He was a member of Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio and Malcolm Creese's Acoustic Triangle. He also played with Bill Bruford's Earthworks. He has performed with many other well-known musicians, including Dave Holland and Bobby McFerrin. He is also a founding member of a group called The Impossible Gentlemen.

Besides the piano, Gwilym also plays the French horn. He has played it with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) and the BBC Big Band. He even toured with jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny in a quartet.

In 2011, Gwilym's album Good Days At Schloss Elmau was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. This is a major music award in the UK.

Special Projects and Collaborations

Gwilym Simcock has worked on many exciting projects. Here are some of them:

• He wrote and performed a piano concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Proms 2008. This piece was called Progressions.
• He created a new work for the Aronowitz Ensemble at the City of London Festival in 2008.
• He composed a piano concerto for a big band in Germany, called Hamburg Suite.
• He led a Big Band project at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2007. It was broadcast on BBC Radio.
• He toured with The Scottish Ensemble (a chamber orchestra) in 2007. This tour was also broadcast on BBC Radio.
• He was a guest soloist with the London Sinfonietta in 2007.
• He wrote a new Horn Sonata, which was performed at the Wigmore Hall.
• He performed the first show of Tim Garland's piano concerto in 2005.
• He toured cathedrals with Acoustic Triangle and Sacconi Strings in 2008.
• He has performed with his trio at the BBC Young Musician of the Year Jazz Award in 2014 and 2016.

Awards and Recognitions

Gwilym Simcock has received many awards and nominations for his musical talent:

• Winner of the Perrier Award in 2001 for Young Jazz Ensemble.
• Winner of the BBC Jazz Award in 2005 for Rising Star.
• Winner of the British Jazz Award in 2005 for Rising Star.
• Nominated for Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2007 for Jazz Musician of the Year.
• Nominated for BBC Jazz Award in 2008 for Best Instrumentalist.
• Nominated for BBC Jazz Award in 2008 for Best Album.
• Chosen as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist from 2006 to 2008.
• Nominated for Radio 3 Listeners' Awards in 2008.
• Nominated for the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize in 2011.

Discography

As leader

• Perception (Basho, 2007)
• Blues Vignette (Basho, 2009)
• Good Days At Schloss Elmau (ACT 2011)
• Instrumation (ACT, 2014)
• Reverie at Schloss Elmau with Yuri Goloubev (ACT, 2014)
• Birdsong with Kizzy Crawford (Basho, 2018)
• Near and Now (ACT, 2019)

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, 2005)
• Heart Luggage, Klaus Gesing (ATS, 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, 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, 2011)
• Internationally Recognised Aliens (Basho, 2013)
• Let's Get Deluxe (Basho, 2016)
• From This Place, Pat Metheny (Nonesuch, 2020)

Images for kids

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  Gwilym Simcock