Jazz Ensemble

Supporting our talented jazz players.

We launched our Jazz Ensemble in 2015 and have been thrilled to see it develop under the direction of acclaimed jazz musician Huw Warren.

Jazz Ensemble concerts form part of our Jazz at the University series.

• Auditioned: Audition required
• Conductor: Huw Warren
• Rehearsals: Wednesday, 18:15-20:30, Concert Hall

The Jazz Ensemble is open to all Cardiff University students with auditions taking place each September. For more information on auditioning please contact Elin Jones at jonese159@cardiff.ac.uk.

Welsh pianist and composer Huw Warren has achieved an international reputation for innovative and eclectic music making over a twenty year career. Equally at home crossing the often exclusive worlds of jazz, world and contemporary music, he has a distinctive and personal voice.

His compositions move between quirky rhythmic grooves and a simple yet profound melodic beauty; but even at his most experimental his music is always fun and approachable. A uniquely soft toned and understated approach to song accompaniment has led him to perform and record with some of the world’s greatest singers.

His best known projects are:

• Dialektos - a duo with Italian singer Maria Pia de Vito
• Hermeto+ - a reworking of the music of Hermeto Pascoal with drummer Martin France and bassist Peter Herbert
• 100s of Things a Boy Can Make - with NY violinist Mark Feldman)
• Infinite Riches in a Little Room - a solo piano set centred around a beautiful reworking of a melody by John Dowland
• Perfect Houseplants - Huw Warren, Mark Lockheart, Dudley Phillips, Martin France
• A Barrel organ Far From Home - a nine piece mixed line up with strings and penny whistle

He has also performed and collaborated with a wide array of musicians including Mark Feldman, Peter Herbert, Joanna Macgreggor, Iain Ballamy, Kenny Wheeler, Jim Black, Theo Bleckmann , Neil Yates, Pamela Thorby, Mose Se Fan Fan, Erik Truffaz and Thomas Strønen as well as a long standing collaboration with singer June Tabor.

Huw has also written for many ensembles including Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Welsh Chamber Orchestra, RSC, LPO Renga ensemble, The Orlando Consort, Ensmble Plus, Koch Ensemble and Tango Siempre.

Recent activity has seen him working with artists from other fields such as choreographer Chloe Loftus, visual artist Catrin Williams and photographer David Woodfall.

He has been awarded the BBC Jazz award for Innovation and the ACW Creative Wales Award.