jenni watson is a uk saxophonist & composer who merges genre boundaries
“…a singular path through musical clichés…” (John Helliwell, Supertramp)
“…music that we need to hear, music that’s very, very appropriate for this time in human history…” (Clark Rundell, Conductor)
“…so rich…what a wonderful ride…” (Ayanna Witter-Johnson, on ‘Unlocked’)
She composes concert works,
is a recording artist of her original music,
and creates library music for screen.
Her works gain popularity through combining emotional accessibility
with multi-layered depth and richness of texture.
SHORT BIO
Jenni Watson - UK Saxophonist & Composer (1985-)
With a predominantly Classical music foundation under a love of many wide-ranging genres, Jenni focusses on utilising such techniques as a means to tell emotive stories. Increasingly her works explore the marriage of her own acoustic multi-instrumental recordings with an exploration into electronic manipulation and found sound.
Although known for her works for Saxophone, other commissions have included writing for Choir, Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble.
Aside from composition commissions and writing music for screen, she performs with her duo partner Martin Jacoby (Piano) and as Tenor Saxophonist with the Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet.
She has a passion for committing her own personal creative projects to disc, most often in a multi-instrumental capacity.
The majority of her music is self-published, with some titles also available from Astute Music.
LONG BIO - CLICK HERE
APPROACH AND STYLE
Bringing her predominantly Classical music background together with a love of many wide-ranging styles, she merges several genre boundaries and is popular for composing in an aesthetic, emotional and accessible style.
With several albums to her name, as performer and/or composer, she continually explores new avenues, with a passion for bridging technicality with musicality in her melodic content.
Increasingly her works explore the marriage of her acoustic multi-instrumental recordings with an exploration into electronic manipulation and found sound.
commissions and projects
The demand for new Saxophone repertoire from Jenni continually increases, with regular commissions from across the international Saxophone community, including recently for the online USA-based Saxophone Academy, Arizona & Pennsylvania State Universities, UK classical charts-rating Vandoren artist Huw Wiggin, the renowned Apollo Saxophone Quartet, and large scale works for Yamaha Australia Artist Erin Royer.
Jenni has been approached for several commissions that reflect on aspects of climate change awareness or societal changes, often focusing on giving a positive take-away, most notably Gone Tomorrow (for Pivot duo, on coastal erosion), Bleaching (for Erin Royer, on coral bleaching), and the full album Adjusting Parameters (for Erin Royer & 40 Consortium members, on various aspects of societal change).
Selected works have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Scala Radio, and can be found in the British Library. Her arranging talents were also utilized in the Channel 4 programme “Orchestra United”.
#LOCKTHESAXDOWN
2020 saw the creation of #lockthesaxdown with Selmer/ Vandoren/ KeyLeaves Artist Emma McPhilemy. #lockthesaxdown is a social media series which has so far seen over 80 players from 14 countries take part in performing selections of Jenni’s music, with a wealth of direct feedback citing the high level of motivational help it provided for players across all ages and abilities, engaging in music that players emotionally connected to. The series subsequently led to an album (Unlocked), funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign.
As a performer, she works with duo partner Martin Jacoby (Piano) in both live performance and recording projects, and also with #lockthesaxdown project partner Emma McPhilemy (Selmer/Vandoren/Key Leaves Artist).
HIGHLIGHTS:
BBC Radio 3 "In Tune" - Composer - Fanfare for Brass: Liberté, performed by Onyx Brass
BBC Radio 3 - Composer - Tinged, performed by Kaleidoscope Saxophone Quartet
BIMM London - Lecturer in Arranging & Music Theory, BA/BMus/Diploma students
Channel 4/Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra - "Orchestra United" - Arranger; Score-reader
Liverpool Biennial Festival - Composer/Arranger (Large-scale creative project with RLPO's Ensemble 10/10 and public call for street-procession musicians)
Royal Northern College of Music - Concerto Soloist (Saxophone) - Concert Orchestra & Wind Orchestra
Manchester University & Liverpool Hope University - Saxophone Tutor, BMus course
Music In Offices - Tutor (Sax/Flute/Clarinet/VIolin/Piano & Theory Course)
Rough for Opera/Helios Collective - Composer - R.I.O.T. (Rap Opera about London Summer Riots)
Dep/freelance work:-
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 2016 - Reed 1
"The Show - A Tribute to ABBA" - Tenor Sax/Flute (National Symphony Orchestra, original ABBA band members)
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Alto Sax
National Youth Ballet "Little Red" - Sax
Has backed Tony Christie, Bonnie Langford, Johnny Dankworth, Tim Garland, Mark Nightingale, Clem Curtis, Jonny Wilkes, Will Martin
EDUCATION
Chetham’s School of Music (Manchester, UK) - Tutor: Andrew Wilson
Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, UK) - Tutors: Rob Buckland; Andy Scott.
MMus (Distinction) Saxophone Performance with Composition.
BMus Hons (1st) Saxophone Performance
QUOTES
“A true artist...how rewarding modern music can be from the pen of a gifted all-round musician” (CASS Magazine)
“One of the most exciting pieces of ensemble I have ever heard at a recital...
quite simply extraordinary: incredible commitment and astonishing memorisation” (Paul Goodey)
“Both as a performer and as a composer, she is the genuine article” (Rob Buckland)
DISCOGRAPHY
