Former Guthlaxton student Lluis Mather returns to college on Friday 4 and 11 November to coach the Big Band prior to their performance at the NCBF Regional Rounds in Northampton on Sunday 20 November.

Twenty three year old Lluis Mather is a 2010 Yamaha Jazz Scholar and a first class graduate of the Birmingham Conservatoire, having completed his course in June 2010 on the saxophone, his first study instrument. He performed headline sets at Cheltenham, Harmonic and Lichfield jazz festivals in 2010 with his Dave Holland Ensemble Award-winning quartet (judged by Dave Holland himself).

His main ensemble, Noose, (recorded by Yamaha for their CD the Yamaha New Jazz Sessions) completed their first album (High Windows) in May 2010, and is now readying a follow up album, which will be completed mid 2011.

Lluis had an extensive practical education at Birmingham Conservatoire, where he was taught and extensively influenced by Mike Williams, received regular tuition from Jean Toussaint, Julian Siegal and Hans Koller, and by visiting tutors such as Jeff Williams, Paul Dunmall and Mike Gibbs. In 2008 he toured with the C.UK big band to Toronto's IAJE conference.

Between 2004 and 2010 he was also a member the nationally renowned Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra (unbeaten in the BBC big band competition). In this band he learnt from the experience of playing alongside well respected guest artists (Stan Sultzmann, Julian Siegal, Henry Lowther, Dave O'Higgins, etc.) Originally from near Leicester, Lluis was raised through the Leicester Arts big bands.

Published on Thursday 3rd November 2011 at 09:00

Categories: Performing Arts