Brudenell Piano Sessions

The final Brudenell Piano Sessions of the year presents another chance to experience a unique and varied set of intimate performances by immensely talented artists creating and performing music on the piano. Our December show sees performances from IMOGEN, an ethereal singer-songwriter and pianist from Newcastle now based in London; JP Coimbra, a Portguese composer combining neo-classical with melodic jazz and choral performance; and Jessie Marcella, ambient/electronic producer and composer based in Leeds. 

Opened, hosted & curated as usual by Leeds-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker, this event also includes the second in our series of informal pre-show Q&A discussions with the featured performers. Beginning at 5pm, each artist will perform a song/piece, followed by a brief relaxed conversation exploring the artistic intentions behind the music, alongside each artists’ musical background and influences, giving us an amazing opportunity to learn more about the artists and their work, before hearing them play in the main show later. We’ll then break for a legendary pre-show Brudenell pie and pint, before doors open at 6.30pm with music beginning at 7pm. 

We are grateful for the continued support of Leeds Inspired, which is part of the city’s cultural programme that celebrates arts events and projects throughout the year, supporting high quality, accessible cultural experiences for Leeds’ residents and visitors. Founded in 2012, Leeds Inspired supports culture in the city through grants schemes, commissions and a ‘What’s On’ events website. Leeds Inspired is part of Leeds City Council: www.leedsinspired.co.uk

Join us for another intimate and cosy evening at the Brudenell, as we continue to enjoy the shared experience of listening to the wide range and variety of music that the piano affords musical creation and performance.

IMOGEN

Imogen is an alternative artist from Newcastle now based in London. With a voice and songs full of pathos; organic instrumentation, unconventional arrangements and an outstanding nose for melodies characterise her sound in which her influences are ever evident but never copied: from Nick Cave and Bat For Lashes to Feist. As well as an artist in her own right, Imogen is also an advocate for change within the music industry, as a member of the Board at The Ivors Academy, co-chair of their Youth Council and as one of the 3 UK participants on the Keychange EU programme which aims to equalise the live industry. 

Having sold out multiple headline shows in the last year and a half, harnessing a much talked-about debut at this year’s Reeperbahn festival, starting her own successful live night ‘Imogen&Friends’, and being recently awarded PRS Foundations’ prestigious Momentum funding, Imogen is well poised to assume form as one of the UK’s most spellbinding live artists.

JP Coimbra

JP Coimbra is a composer and pianist from Portugal, combining neo-classical music with melodic jazz and choral performance. He has worked with many talented people, both on personal projects, various side-projects and multiple collaborations including producing music for film, theatre and dance. 

As this musical journey continues, he will present music from his latest project: V I B R A – a Portuguese word that means “vibrate” referring to the mechanical aspects of sound, and is joined for this performance by violinist Samuel Coelho.

Jessie Marcella

Hailing from Leeds, UK producer and composer Jessie Marcella has always been drawn to deep, emotive soundscapes. She’s classically trained in the clarinet, and found early inspiration in her work from the likes of Sigur Rós and Björk. Much of Marcella’s inspiration for her music comes from nature, growing up in Devizes, Wiltshire, a small, peaceful market town not far from Bristol. 

It’s easy to over-think when writing music, so Marcella always aims to keep it simple. She describes her music-making process as a series of happy accidents. She’ll write a melancholy melody on her home studio keyboard and use a range of plug-ins to extend, deconstruct and distort. 

Supported by the likes of Sian Eleri and Jaguar on BBC Radio 1, the British newcomer crafts her unique sound through melding together both live and electronic instrumentation, seamlessly intertwining her neo-classical ambience with her higher energy tracks.

Winner of Youth Music's Music Producer Award 2022, Marcella's fearless production and talent for captivating and moving her audience has been something she has begun to share in a live setting. Starting at Radio 1s Big Weekend earlier in summer, through to her latest Amsterdam Dance Event debut where Marcella performed a DJ gig at Paradiso, followed by two sold out ambient shows.

Simeon Walker:

Leeds-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker has quickly emerged as a leading light in the burgeoning Modern Classical scene, following the release of Mono and Winnow, his two albums to date. In recent years, Simeon has regularly performed & toured across the UK and Europe; supported a variety of artists including S. Carey, LYR, Sebastian Plano, Loscil, Erland Cooper & Taz Modi; and performed notable live sets at Latitude & Timber Festival (UK), Q3Ambientfest (DE), FAN Festival (PT). His latest single ‘Reverie’ features on the first official Piano Day compilation by LEITER, alongside Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds and Chilly Gonzales.

His music receives regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 shows including Unclassified & NightTracks, alongside BBC 6Music, KEXP and Soho Radio, with his music boasting streaming figures in excess of 15 million times across platforms. He also founded and continues to curate Brudenell Piano Sessions; an intimate and varied live music series highlighting the diverse music being composed and performed on the piano, hosted at Leeds’ iconic Brudenell Social Club.

Simeon’s recent EP release Imprints represents a return to the calm, introspective piano-based instrumentals that first thrust him into the limelight; inviting the listener to find stillness, beauty and meaning as much in the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves, as musical stories are woven with each tender, intimate performance.

http://www.simeonwalker.co.uk 

http://instagram.com/simeonwalkermusic

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCamY48x4ykBl5noiTwWerVw