Brian was born in Belfast. His huge body of work reflects an obsessive love of music creation in all its forms. It includes operas, orchestral works, large-scale community oratorios, film and dance scores as well as numerous ensemble, solo, chamber pieces. 

His music has been performed all over the world and commissioned by many international artists and organisations including: Welsh National Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Wexford Festival Opera, Northern Sinfonia, BBC Radio 3, BBC Concert Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Scottish Ballet, Opera Theatre Company, Bath International Music Festival, Glasgow International Music  Festival, Lyric Youth Opera, Music Network, London 2012 Olympics Festival, Roald Dahl Foundation, 4-mality percussion ensemble, Belfast Festival at Queens, Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Live Music Now, Sonorities Festival of New Music, Homecoming Music Festival (Moscow).
Together with his own 12 -piece ensemble (BBC Radio 3 music award winners) he has toured extensively throughout USA, Russia, France, Portugal, Germany, Scotland, Malta, Cyrus, Poland, Scotland, Ireland, England, Belgium, and the Netherlands and has appeared at some of the world’s leading international music festivals/venues including several appearances at the Bath International Music Festival (UK), Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank (London,UK), Gulbenkian Institute (Portugal) , Washington National Library of Congress (USA), Ouest Nord Ouest Festival, (France), Glasgow International Festival (UK), Kościół Św. Jana, Gdańsk (Poland), Festival d'été de Valence (France), Novgorod Municipal Theatre (Russia), Festival Sous les Pommiers, (France) Homecoming Festival (Russia), Dublin Festival (Ireland), Moving on Music Festival (UK), Sonorities Festival of New Music (UK) and The International House of Music (Moscow, Russia).

For the last four years he has been the Associate Composer with the Ulster Orchestra in Belfast and is currently Visiting Professor of Creative Arts at the University of Ulster. 
Brian has also collaborated with and written for some of the worlds most internationally established artists across many different genres including Seamus Heaney (poet), 4-mality percussion ensemble, Joanna MacGregor (piano), Billy Jenkins (guitar), Keith Tippet (piano), Paul Dunmall (saxophone/reeds), Roman Mints (violin), Matthew Bourne (piano), David Holmes, Snow Patrol, Duke Special, Keiji Haino (guitar), Joe Morris (guitar), LAU (BBC Folk award winners) as well as film makers, sculptors and animators including Eduard Bersudsky, Jari Neimenin, Joel Simon, John McCluskey and John Mcilduff.
He has won a number of awards for his work including a British Composers Award for Opera, BBC Radio 3 Jazz award for best new work, Major Individual Artist Award (Arts Council of Northern Ireland), First Trust/University of Ulster Distinquished Graduate Award, the MCPS Joyce Dixey Award for Composition and the Bass Ireland Award. Recently his opera Shelter Me form the Rain won the 2011 Irish Allianz Arts and Business Award for “best use of creativity in the community” and his large scale children’s oratorio Rain Falling Up was shortlisted for a 2011 British Composers Awards.  The junk opera Postcards from Dumbworld was also shortlisted for a 2011 Irish Times Theatre Award. 
Last year together with writer/director John Mcilduff he was awarded the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Artist Taking the Lead award for the enormous sonic installation Nest. Brian also recently completed the score to John McIlduff’s debut feature film Behold the Lamb as well as the short film opera: To Do List. 
His recent orchestral works have included:
Strange Attractors (40’) for orchestra and LAU commissioned by the Sage Gateshaed/ PRS foundation; My cow’s not pretty, but it’s pretty to me - recorded for BBC Radio 3 Hear and Now performed by the Ulster Orchestra and Praise aloud the trees for double orchestra and choir, a collaboration with Nobel laureate poet Seamus Heaney commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and premiered by the Ulster Orchestra/RTE Concert Orchestras and Horizon voices in Belfast 4 March 2012
He is currently working on Nest (60’): a multi media installation for symphony orchestra, chorus, sonic processing, 5000 objects and film (commissioned by London 2012 Festival); an opera with writer Owen McCafferty (commissioned by  Northern Ireland Opera) and a violin concerto for violinist Darragh Morgan (commissioned by the RTE National Symphony Orchestra). 

His latest 8 - piece ensemble Melonhead makes its debut appearance at the Moving on Music festival in March 2012.




Winner of Parliamentary Jazz Awards Jazz Vocalist Of The Year 2019, Zoe Gilby releases her fourth album AURORA Inspired by the instrumental compositions of award winning, Grammy nominated U.S trumpeter Tom Harrell
Speaking of her taking on such a project, Zoe said: “This is a brand new album of material and we are so excited to be augmenting the exciting instrumental compositions of US trumpet player and composer Tom Harrell with my own lyrics.”

“Award winning vocalist Zoe Gilby is back with an album which sees her appending smart new lyrics to some of Tom Harrell’s finest instrumentals”
Jazzwise 4star review - Peter Quinn

““Aurora” represents another impressive offering from Gilby and her excellent quintet. Her voice and lyrics fit Harrell’s melodies perfectly and it sounds perfectly natural and organic”
JazzMann 4star review - Ian Mann

“Zoe and her musicians deserve to be congratulated on the way they have delivered Tom Harrell’s music which, lyrically, has been brought to life by a singer with a distinct style of her own, a style that I very much enjoyed and look forward to hearing more of”
Simply Jazz Talk 

“Listening again to Aurora it is perhaps hoped that is just Volume 1 in what may be a series of albums featuring Harrell's work and Ms Gilby's outstanding vocals and burgeoning talents as a lyricist.”
Jazz Views - Nick Lea 

“Aurora is an ambitious project, as it can be challenging to write lyrics to existing tunes, but Gilby has done a stellar job; the lyrics are always interesting, and singing delivers them to great effect, clear and concise.”
Kind of Jazz 4star review - Matthew Ruddick

Zoe is a UK based jazz vocalist and songwriter who tours internationally and throughout the UK, performing her original compositions, written with double bassist husband Andy Champion. 

LIVING SHADOWS - Their distinctive sound, follows in the tradition of great English alt pop and progressive rock whilst also reflecting their background in jazz http://livinginshadows.bandcamp.com/

Zoe is a creative, compelling songwriter and performer. Establishing critical acclaim with her adventurous approach and influences from jazz and contemporary composers from Kate Bush to Thelonious Monk. A vast array of powerful and diverse projects with a fascinating lyrical content. A successful and charismatic personality who is continuing her increasing popularity amongst audiences, press and promoters.

The Mark Williams Trio has released two albums: Balaclavé Street and Last Bus To Bensham, with the latter marking their selection for Jazz North's Northern Line scheme. Their eagerly awaited third album, Long Way Out, is set to launch on December 1st with a special event at The Globe, Newcastle, in partnership with Jazz North East.
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Renowned for their distinctive compositions and innovative use of effects and loops, the Trio crafts a unique modern sound that distinguishes them from traditional guitar-led jazz trios.
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"....his technique is phenomenal and he does it with so much feeling and underlying emotion."- Bebop Spoken Here.
 
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"An impressive offering from Williams and one that showcases his abilities as both a guitarist and a composer" - The Jazz Mann
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I create music using vibraphone, dulcimer, electronics and small instruments. My music contains elements of jazz, folk from different countries, and electronica.

Most of the things here are available to download and remix non-commercially. Please feel free, and let me know.



Saxophonist & composer based in Edinburgh, playing jazz and improvised music

Jazzwise, the UK's biggest selling jazz monthly and the leading English language jazz magazine in Europe, has changed the way jazz magazines look and think with a stunning editorial and design package that reaches out to both the new jazz audience and established fans – qualities that have led to it winning Jazz Publication of the Year at both the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards.

Every month Jazzwise's acclaimed team of writers takes you on the journey of your life: from the cutting edge of contemporary jazz, mainstream, fusion and free-jazz to jazz electronica and world music with hot news, gossip, nationwide gig guide, major features and the UK's most authoritative reviews section. From the outer edges to the inner circles Jazzwise is committed to discovering new talent as well as extensive coverage of today’s scene and expansive retrospectives of jazz’s vibrant past. You simply can’t afford to be without it.

Mark Williams 44 is following