New Partnership with Brecon Jazz Festival
The Royal Welsh College and the Brecon Jazz Festival have come
together to create a new partnership, investing in international
jazz talent of the future. The Festival will provide the climax of
the College’s week long Summer School course, providing students
with the opportunity to perform on the main stage at this
prestigious event.
The unique Summer School (2-8 August), headed by Brecon festival
‘veteran’ and the College’s Head of Jazz, Paula Gardiner, gives
students the chance to work alongside internationally renowned jazz
artists, culminating in their own performance at the world-famous
Brecon festival.
Paula herself is part of a new international musical
collaboration: The Brecon Project. Formed for the festival, the
Project will be developing a new programme of work at the College
during the length of the summer school. This will be premiered at
the Eisteddfod on 6 August, and then at the festival on 7th August
before touring Spain and Colombia. Summer School students will be
tutored and coached by other members of The Brecon Project,
including Huw Warren, Mark O’Connor, Lee Goodall, as well as Nick
Weldon and guest musicians from Brecon’s 2010 programme.
Paula, who has been an artist at the Brecon
festival since 1986, is delighted with the partnership: ‘what a
fantastic opportunity to fuse jazz education with the primary focus
of jazz in Wales at this historic festival. It allows our Summer
School students to become totally immersed in the music in both a
learning and performance environment.’
Festival Director, Peter Florence added, ‘We're
thrilled to be working with the Royal Welsh College on the Summer
School and The Brecon Project. We hope to develop the relationship
over the next few years both in the new venues at the College in
Cardiff and throughout Wales.’
The Brecon Jazz Festival (6-8 August 2010) relaunched last year,
under the Hay Festival umbrella and aims to make Brecon Jazz the
essential home for the new generation of jazz superstars, and a
byword for innovation and excellence.
This years guests include Hugh Masekela, Orquesta Buena Vista
Social Club, Orchestre National de Jazz’s Around Robert Wyatt
project, Nostalgia 77, and Portico Quartet.