Alexandra Ridout wins 2016 BBC Young Musician Jazz Award

Seventeen year-old trumpeter Alexandra Ridout was crowned winner of the prestigious BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2016 on Saturday March 12th in Cardiff. She was among five finalists including two pianists, a saxophonist and one musician on saxophone and recorder, all aged between 15 - 21 years old, performing alongside the Gwilym Simcock Trio. Performances were judged by leading British jazz figures Tim Garland, Gwyneth Herbert, Zoe Rahman, Byron Wallen and the Chair of the Jury, Julian Joseph.

Commenting on her win she said, “The whole thing has been an amazing opportunity! I can't believe I even got this far. I wasn't expecting to win but now that I have, it's incredible, and playing with the trio was the best bit, they are just so good!"

Julian Joseph said: “We were enchanted by Alexandra’s presence as a musician, her sound, but I think most importantly there was a relationship with the blues and swinging that sounds important in her playing. We all heard that, and we all felt that, and it really tipped the decision in her favour.”

Alexandra has been playing the trumpet since she was eight years old, in both classical and jazz traditions. She attended The Junior Department at The Royal Academy of Music, played in the National Youth Jazz Collective all over the country, played in The London Jazz Festival and at The House of Commons with the legendary Dave Holland. Currently Alexandra attends sixth form studies at The Purcell School of Music. In the summer of 2015 she was accepted onto the prestigious Brubeck Insitute Summer Jazz Colony in California with her own crowd-funded financial support, one of just two chosen from the UK.

The BBC Young Musician Jazz Award Finalists were:

Alexandra Ridout - Trumpet (17 years old)
Tom Ridout – Saxophone and Recorder (21 years old)
Tom Smith - Saxophone (20 years old)
Noah Stoneman - Piano (15 years old)
Elliott Sansom - Piano (21 years old)