Laura Jurd: The Open Fund for Music Creators
New commisions for Gavin Brayars at 80 concert series
Laura Jurd is a British award-winning trumpet player, composer and bandleader and BBC New Generation Artist for 2015-2017. Highly active throughout the UK scene, Laura has developed a formidable reputation as one of the most creative young musicians to emerge from the UK in recent years.<br />Performing regularly throughout the UK and Europe, she leads the 2017 Mercury-nominated band Dinosaur who have performed at North Sea, Montreal, and Molde International Jazz festivals to name a few. A highly active composer, Laura is equally at home writing for chamber groups and orchestras as she is writing for jazz ensembles and improvising.
Gavin Bryars at 80 is a series of concerts and events by Phaedra Ensemble, centered around the music of Gavin Bryars in celebration of his 80th year. Throughout the series, Phaedra Ensemble will perform programs featuring Bryars’ four string quartets and iconic works such as The Sinking of the Titanic and Jesus’ Blood across the UK during the Autumn of 2023.
The series will include two new commissions from the younger generation of composers who embody the experimental ethos and eclecticism of Bryars’ work. Mercury-nominated trumpeter-composer Laura Jurd (Dinosaur) will be writing for and performing alongside Phaedra’s modern string ensemble sound. Leo Chadburn – whose work spans from music for antique recorders, to acclaimed chamber pop under the moniker of Simon Bookish – is creating a new chamber work for Phaedra.
The series is being funded by The Arts Council of England, The PRS Foundation, and the Vaughan Williams Trust.