First published in 1961, Private Eye is now the UK's number one best-selling news and current affairs magazine. Edited by Ian Hislop.

Originally from Loughor in Swansea, James is currently teaching Music at Cheam High School, Surrey. James began composing and performing from an early age and majored in composition during his undergraduate studies and completed his MA in Composition at the University of Bristol; both under the guidance of John Pickard.
 
In 2011, James won the prestigious BUMS Chamber Choir Composition Competition with his setting of Jubilate Deo, later having it performed both in St. George's, Bristol and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin alongside The Creation, another of his choral works. 
 
James has received a number of commissions, including a commission for international Cellist, Steffan Morris. Other notable performances of James' work include Hiraeth by Cardiff-based Sinfona Newydd during their annual Music festival at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and a collection of scenes for an original ballet, 'Symba', which features music composed by James as well as a number of his colleagues from his time in Bristol University. In 2013, James was made resident composer of Gorseinon Youth Choir.

A full biography can be found on my website.

http://jprideauxmusic.wix.com/music

A podcast about mental health, the mind-body connection, and social change. 
Thought-provoking stories from inspiring guests about everything from social anxiety to psychosis, and the power of getting moving.

Experimental, Indian, Classical, Dub, Sound Art.

Jake Charkey is an acclaimed cellist with a strong background in both Western classical music and Hindustani music. 
 
Building from his solid classical and orchestral training, he is an eclectic improviser, drawing from eastern and western musical traditions.
 
He is a sought after studio recording artist in the film, television and music industry in both India and USA.  A disciple of the renowned violinist Padmabhushan Dr. N. Rajam in the rare Gayaki Ang style, Jake is one of the few cellists in the world performing Indian music on the cello.

About
Jake Charkey started playing violin at the age of 6.  After a year of suffering the scratchy cacaphony of beginning violin, his father mercifully gave him a cello to try, and and he took it up like an old friend.
 
After completing his conservatory training at the Shepherd School of Music in Houston, TX and seeking to broaden his musical skills and vocabulary, he took an interest in Hindustani music.  His studies began in Toronto with the sarangi player, Aruna Narayan, who urged him to adapt Hindustani music to cello rather than learn an Indian instrument.  He continued in Los Angeles where he took up intensive training with Jagan Ramamoorthy, a senior disciple of the violin virtuoso Padmabushan Dr. N. Rajam.  He completed his M.F.A. at CalArts in Hindustani music under the guidance of Aashish Khan and Swapan Chaudury.  While at Cal-Arts he also incorporated other modalities of improvisation into his playing with Vinny Golia, Wadada Leo Smith, and Charlie Haden.
 
After grad school Jake moved to Montreal, where continued to perform Hindustani music, both as a soloist and accompanist for Kathak dance and was a occasional collaborator with tUnEyArds.  In 2010 he travelled to India with an arts fellowship from the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute to support formal study under Padmabushan Dr. N. Rajam with whom he continued to learn for the 6 years he stayed there.  
 
In India he recorded and performed with many of the most celebrated musicians in Bollywood.  His unique sound can be heard on season 2 of MTV's Coke Studio, multiple episodes of MTV Unplugged, and in a number of Bollywood soundtracks.  

Since returning to the USA in 2016 Jake has joined the Slipstream Ensemble at Marlboro College, a composer/performer ensemble in residence and performs with Layale Chaker and Sarafand.  He also performs with Adam Rudolph’s GO Organic Orchestra and is a frequent collaborator with the Brooklyn Raga Massive.  He has been an advocate for new music for solo cello which he programs in recital alongside Hindustani music.  He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Instagram @kemyusuf 

Kemal Yusuf is 'one of the UK’s brightest young composers’ - M-Magazine

Since the age of seven, Kemal has been constructing sounds on whatever instruments lay to hand. Initially self-taught, he progressed to the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with Simon Bainbridge. He gravitated towards the natural drama and theatre within music.

He was then closely mentored by the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, who became one of his biggest sonic inspirations.

Kemal’s unique ear and non-rigid approach to genre has seen him work successfully in musical theatre, jazz, filmscores, large-scale orchestral works, TikTok mashups, Instagram live improvisations, an album of chamber music, and a series of piano improvisations titled 'The Key Crack Chronicles'.

His varied and unpredictable approach has resulted in an output of over 100 works. The most recent is his 17 minute string quartet titled Oyun. This was described by Planet Hugill as ‘A major Coup…a composer who possesses a unique ear’.

Kemal received his first large-scale commission in 2016 from the Norfolk and Norwich Festival: Cain, a 30-minute dramatic cantata. This was performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the NNF Chorus and soloists Jeni Bern, Christopher Diffey and Alexander Baker, conducted by David Parry.

His setting of Psalm 91 has been performed by choirs around the country. The BBC Singers gave a live broadcast in a concert curated by Judith Weir.

Other commissions include works for the BBC Singers, The Cheltenham International Music Festival, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, The Carducci Quartet, The Fidelio Trio and for film Directors Tim Bernard and Nayomi Roshini. Kemal has been a judge for The Ivors and a consultant for PRSF.

He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music.

‘His music is masterly and compelling’ - Eastern Daily Press.

Kemal has been commissioned, as part of ORA Singer’s Emergency Composers’ Fund, to write A reflection on Cildo Meireles’ Babel 2001.

RnB singer originally from Swindon and now living in South London. 

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