Issie Barratt

Issie Barratt (NYJC’s Chief Executive and Artist Director) is an internationally active composer, conductor, baritone player, record producer and educator who has performed at a majority of leading concert halls, jazz clubs and festivals in Britain, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and more recently, New York, Minneapolis and the east coast of Canada. Known for forging relationships between orchestral and jazz musicians, Issie has been awarded commissions by a wide array of ensembles including the Bohuslän Big Band, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Delta Sax Quartet, 4th Dimension String Quartet, Voice of the North, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Philharmonia Orchestra and the North Cheshire Wind Orchestra, with her work often featuring international acclaimed soloists Anders Bergcrantz, Gary Burton, Tim Garland, Mark Lockheart, Joe Locke, Steve Waterman and Annie Whitehead and frequently sharing the billing with fellow record label composers, Mike Gibbs and John Warren.

Issie’s music has been featured in festivals and conferences, including Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s 2001 Rising Star series, Leeds International Jazz Conferences 2002-2007 and IAJE’s 2008 conference in Toronto, and has been recorded by the Delta Sax Quartet (“Dedicated to you but you weren’t listening”), Bohuslän Big Band (“Letter to Billie”) and Vortex Foundation Big Band (“Charybdis”) as well as by her own 21-piece jazz orchestra on her highly acclaimed debut album “Astral Pleasures” (produced by Mike Gibbs and released on Fuzzy Moon Records) and her contemporary quartet “The Meinrad Iten Project”

In 1999 Issie found the Jazz Faculty at Trinity College of Music, London, which she headed until 2004, when she was offered the post of Jazz Fellow, allowing her more time for her compositional and performance activities. She has also led jazz composition projects and performances for all the UK jazz programmes and continues to supervise several postgraduate students from all the conservatoires.

In 2005 Issie was asked by Youth Music and Jazz Services to lead a research programme that then led to her being asked to be Artistic Director of a pilot National Youth Jazz Summer School. A year later, thanks to the success of the summer school and its round of regional auditiions, the National Youth Jazz Collective was born (the name comes from the collective nature of the organisation’s work, thanks to the enthusiasm and on going support of the tutors, participants, partners and regional hosts) specializing in a rolling programme of regional projects and an annual National Youth Jazz Summer School.

In 2008 Issie established Fuzzy Moon Records www.fuzzzymoonrecords.co.uk and co-found sister company Fuzzy Moon Music www.fuzzymoonmusic.com with IT consultant and semi-pro jazz pianist Paul Milnes.

Issie is also an active member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters; Trustee for Jazz Heritage Wales; member of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards advisory committee; member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians and author of several research papers focusing on jazz learning and jazz assessment.

Never afraid to visit the full breadth of the psychological spectrum, Issie’s music invariably combines the warmth of an embrace with the full zest of a lemon

“A remarkable composer, conductor, arranger and baritone sax player.” Mo-Jo Magazine

“Highly original writing, not lending itself to helpful comparisons.” Jazz Uk

“Fresh writing and commanding conducting skills.” The Observer

“Her amazing breadth of skill (writing, directing and teaching) is JUST what the music world needs”. Mike Gibbs – Composer/arranger

“A proper, grown-up jazz composer, like Maria Schneider, Gary McFarland or Mike Gibbs.” The Guardian

“A great great composer who writes beautiful beautiful music” Julian Joseph: Jazz Pianist, composer and broadcaster.

Forthcoming Events

Devon
24th April 2010
South West Music School, Dartington
NYJC professional concert

Devon
25th April 2010
South West Music School, Dartington
CPD, YMW & family concert

Rotheram
29th April 2010
Thurcroft Junior School
Young Musicians Workshop Evening

Rotheram
8th May 2010
Thurcroft Junior School
Young Musicians Workshop

London
9th May 2010
Kings Place
Young Musicians Workshop

London
6th June 2010
Kings Place
Young Musicians Workshop

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