Gwilym Simcock

GWILYM SIMCOCK

WORKS FOR STRINGS AND PIANO

CONFLUENCE(2010)

GWILYM'S LATEST COMMISSION "CONFLUENCE" WAS PREMIERED AT CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY 3RD JULY 2010 WITH THE SACCONI QUARTET

CONFLUENCE WAS PREMIERED IN AUSTRALIA IN FEBRUARY 2011 WITH THE TINALLEY QUARTET

"Pianist Gwilym Simcock’s new quintet, Confluence, bridges the world of the classical string quartet with that of jazz. The convergence happened in the music’s fabric: harmonies seemed to begin where Ravel and Debussy’s jazz dabblings had left off, and there was homage to Debussy and the first two distinctive notes of his string quartet. Understanding with long-term partners the Sacconi Quartet was implicit, and further underlined in the exuberant dancing of Simcock’s Fundero". Dave Reinstein

Sacconi Quartet

Tinalley Quartet

SIMPLE TALES(2010)

The last of four concerts from the 2009-2010 Britten Sinfonia at Lunch series from the West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge. This innovative series, which toured five different cities, including Krakow in Poland, was the winner of an RPS Chamber Music Award, and features an eclectic mix of familiar and unfamiliar pieces, alongside the new commission. In these concerts, "Simple Tales"was performed alongside music by Messiaen and Ravel.

Gwilym Simcock: Simple Tales (World Premiere)
Messiaen: "Louange à l'Eternité de Jésus" from the Quartet for the End of Time.
Ravel: Piano Trio

Britten Sinfonia performers:

Jacqueline Shave (violin) | Gwilym Simcock (piano) (for Simple Tales) | Caroline Dearnley (cello)
Shai Wosner (piano) (for the Ravel) .

Press Release | BBC website | Read review

Jacqueline Shave

CAROLINE DEARNLEY

CONTOURS(2008)

GWILYM AT THE PROMS ON 31ST AUGUST 2009

Gwilym performed his piece "Contours" with the Aronowitz Ensemble at Cadogan Hall as part of a celebration of 10 years of the BBC New Generations Artists Scheme.

"Contours" - a special commission for The Aronowitz Ensemble was performed at the City of London Festival in June 2008.

Aronowitz Ensemble

SUITE FOR CELLO AND PIANO(2008)

PREMIERED AT KING'S PLACE SEPTMBER 2008

with Cara Berridge

RELEASED ON "BLUES VIGNETTE" 2009

Part 1 - Kinship

Pat 2 - Homeward

BLUES VIGNETTE

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..I PREFER THE GORGEOUS FREEDOM

..WORKS FOR ORCHESTRA AND PIANO

..WORKS FOR BIG BAND

POINT OF CONTACT(2007)

composed for the Scottish Ensemble FEATURED ON RADIO 3 on OCTOBER 12TH 2006

"Bringing together separate traditions, particularly the jazz and classical ones, can result in a mixture rather like oil and water. Not here, though. Perhaps it's because the ensemble's guest, pianist Gwilym Simcock, works in and understands both these genres so fully, but with the help of a band that's really on top of its game, his Point of Contact for Piano, Vibraphone and Strings achieved a beguiling ease of movement and a real unity of purpose.

Simcock is a marvellous player. In his expansive solo work, his meticulously plotted duetting with Ben Bryant on vibraphone and his writing for strings he showed great imagination, wit and conceptual awareness. It was all fine stuff but the way he brought the piece to its conclusion, with a surge of energy, was sheer class".Rob Adams, The Herald 4 STARS ****

"a very attractive fusion that integrated the various strands of the music in satisfying fashion. It was lyrical rather than spiky, and the improvised passages featuring Simcock and Bryant blended seamlessly into the overall structure in convincing fashion" Kenny Mattieson, The Scotsman 4 STARS ****

Scottish Ensemble