Jess Gillam

Jess Gillam
MBE
Born (1998-05-24) 24 May 1998 (age 26)
Ulverston, Cumbria, England
NationalityBritish
Alma materGuildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation(s)Saxophonist and BBC radio broadcaster

Jess Gillam MBE (born 24 May 1998) is a British saxophonist and BBC radio broadcaster from Ulverston, Cumbria.[1][2] Gillam hosts This Classical Life on BBC Radio 3.[3]

Education

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Gillam attended the Junior Royal Northern College of Music while at secondary school.[4] She left sixth form early to concentrate on practising the saxophone and then attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester[5] but dropped out before completing her undergraduate course. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 she completed a Master's degree from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.[6]

Recognition

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Gillam is the youngest ever presenter on BBC Radio 3 and the first saxophonist to be signed to Decca Classics[6] Her debut album RISE reached No.1 in the UK Classical chart.[7]

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music.[8]

Albums

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  • RISE (2019)
  • CHRISTMAS (2019)
  • TIME (2020)

Virtual Scratch Orchestra

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gillam offered her fans the opportunity to participate in several virtual orchestras. This involved participants submitting videos of themselves performing individual parts on their chosen instrument. These were then edited, mixed and published on YouTube. The orchestras attracted participation of well over 500 entries on each occasion, and included the songs "Where Are We Now?", "Let It Be" and "Sleigh Ride".[9][10][11]

Awards

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Notable performances

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References

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  1. ^ "Jess Gillam | Award Winning Saxophonist | Ulverston, Cumbria, UK". Jess Gillam. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  2. ^ Gillam, Jess (24 May 2019). "21 today!! Thank you so much @deccaclassics for the beautiful flowers and @HarrisonParrott for the legendary card I feel extremely lucky to work with you all!! pic.twitter.com/1sX4LdkJPq". @jessgillamsax. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. ^ "BBC Radio 3 - This Classical Life". BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. ^ "JRNCM Saxophonist Through to BBC Final - Royal Northern College of Music".
  5. ^ "Jess hits the top with début album - Royal Northern College of Music".
  6. ^ a b "Interview: Jess Gillam". Alternative Classical. 25 September 2020.
  7. ^ Peacock, Tim (6 May 2019). "Jess Gillam Continues To Rise With First Classical No. 1".
  8. ^ "No. 63377". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 2021. p. B18.
  9. ^ "Jess Gillam | Award Winning Saxophonist | Ulverston, Cumbria, UK". Jess Gillam. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  10. ^ Smith, Sophie (11 June 2020). "Watch Jess Gillam's Virtual Scratch Orchestra Perform 'Let It Be'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  11. ^ Kelly, Sharon (5 November 2020). "Perform 'Sleigh Ride' With Jess Gillam's Virtual Scratch Orchestra! |". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Who is Jess Gillam, the saxophonist? Age, recordings, concerts and father - Classic FM". 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  13. ^ "A week with Jess Gillam". Awards for Young Musicians. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  14. ^ "BBC Four - BBC Young Musician, 2016 - Jess Gillam". 11 August 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Jess Gillam". HarrisonParrott. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
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