Emerging Excellence - results
The first round of Emerging Excellence Awards attracted nearly 100 applications from young artists across the UK. In July 2012 we made 18 awards to individuals and groups towards a wide range of exciting projects and development opportunities.
Award holders
Ajimal
With a name inspired by a Haitian witchdoctor, Ajimal is the solo project for Newcastle’s Fran O’Hanlon – a collaborative ‘in-ear experiment’ with the aim of writing about the interplay between ideas from music, medicine, art, ideas, literature, science and stories. Jumping between serene piano, delicate acoustic, reverb guitars, loop pedals, singing bowls and saws, with the one constant of expressive and beautiful vocal melodies and lyrics, Ajimal specialises in grandiose haunted pop, reminiscent of Jeff Buckley and Guillemots. Ajimal's Emerging Excellence Award will help fund a tour of his EP.
ajimal.co.uk
Alarm Bells
Formed by members of the now disbanded 'Dananananaykroyd', Glasgow-based Alarm Bells will use their Emerging Excellence Award towards the production of their first 12" singles.
facebook.com/alarmbellsalarmbells
Beats & Pieces Big Band
Winners of the Burghausen European Young Artists’ Jazz Award 2011, the Beats & Pieces Big Band are fast becoming one of the country’s most talked about jazz groups. Led by composer and conductor Ben Cottrell,
its 14 members are drawn from some of the most exciting and in demand
young musicians active in the UK today, all of whom met and began
playing together whilst students in Manchester. Their debut album, Big Ideas, was released in March 2012 on Efpi Records. Beats & Pieces will use their Emerging Excellence Award towards a residency at Dartington to prepare new material for a live tour and album recording.
beatsnpieces.net
Circuit
London-based 9-piece experimental rock, modern jazz and pop band
Circuit features members from Poland, Italy, Denmark and the UK. They play such instruments as cello, harp and live electronics among
the more usual horns and rhythm section. Circuit will use their Emerging Excellence Award to complete their first album (due October 2012) and to mount a live tour.
circuitmusic.eu
Holly Cook
Holly trained as a classical flautist, and now works on a range of
flutes, ethnic flutes and whistles, in a variety of musical settings.
Holly graduated with a Master's degree in performance from Trinity Laban in 2009 in which she was awarded a
distinction in performance. She studied flute
with Anna Noakes and ethnic flutes with Tony Hinnigan and Andy Findon. Currently the Richard Carne Junior Fellow at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Holly will use her Emerging Excellence Award towards further study in ethnic flutes.
hollycook.co.uk
Douglas Dare
Twenty-one year old singer-songwriter Douglas Dare from West Dorset has emerged with a
haunting sound of acoustic, piano based indie. Inspired by the solo
projects of Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club), Daniel Rossen (Grizzly
Bear) and Thom Yorke, Douglas combines intimate arrangements with a
voice and lyric of a true storyteller. Douglas will use his Emerging Excellence Award towards the recording of an EP.
douglasdare.com
Kit Downes
After studying at both the Purcell School of Music and the Royal Academy
of Music, Kit now plays regularly with his own Trio and Quintet, Stan
Sulzmann's 'Neon', Troyka, The Golden Age of Steam, Sam Crockatt
Quartet and Seb Rochford. He
won the BBC ‘Rising Star’ Award in 2008 and was nominated for a
British Jazz Award in both 2008 and 2009. In 2010 Kit's debut album
Golden was nominated for a Mercury Music Award. Kit will use his Emerging Excellence Award towards a collaboration with animator Lesley Barnes.
kitdownes.com
Galàn
Galàn is a spirited young ensemble committed to rediscovering the exciting and often neglected sound world of three soprano voices. Since their formation in 2009, they have been selected as Brighton Early Music Festival Young Artists in 2010 and have performed at Brighton Early Music Festival for two consecutive seasons. Other highliights include Winchester Festival, London St Luke's Church and several public and private concerts around the UK. Galàn has also travelled to Spain and was delighted to make their Italian debut in Ferrara in 2012. They will use their Emerging Excellence Award towards a recording project.
galan.co.uk
Juliyaa
GUBA Award Winning singer Juliyaa is a singer-songwriter born and raised in North London to a Ghanaian mother and a Welsh father. Rooted in African-inspired polyrhythms, layered with harmonious soul vocals and infused with the high energy of UK urban music, Juliyaa effortlessly combines different musical genres into a sound she calls 'Rhythmic Soul'. Juliyaa will use her Emerging Excellence Award towards the release of her EP
Stars and Dragons.
juliyaa.com
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Picture credits: Netta Peltola (Ajimal), Martin Wilson (Beats & Pieces), Alex Rumford (Holly Cook), Emile Holba (Kit Downes), Hilda Sackey (Juliyaa)