Julian Bliss & Joby Burgess
Biography Julian Bliss & Joby Burgess
Julian Bliss
is one of the world’s finest clarinetists, excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, jazz artist, masterclass leader and tireless musical explorer. He has inspired a generation of young players as co-creator of the Leblanc range of affordable clarinets, introducing a substantial new audience to his instrument. Julian started playing the clarinet aged 4, going on to study at the University of Indiana and in Germany under Sabine Meyer, turning professional aged 12.
In recital and chamber music he has played at most of the world’s leading festivals and venues, including Gstaad, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Verbier, Wigmore Hall (London) and Lincoln Center (New York). As a soloist, he has appeared with a wide range of international orchestras, including the São Paulo Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Paris, Auckland Philharmonia, the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras.
Album releases receive rave reviews from critics, record of the week spots and media attention. Projects include multiple jazz albums with the Julian Bliss Septet, Mozart & Weber Quintets with the Carducci String Quartet; Schubert’s Shepherd on the rock with Christopher Glynn (piano) and Sophie Bevan (soprano); Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint; Mozart and Nielsen’s concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia; a new piece for clarinet & string quartet by David Bruce, Gumboots, and a recital album of Russian and French composers with American pianist, Bradley Moore.
Julian has also arranged pieces for clarinet and piano, notably Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata, Op 19, the third movement of which has been set as a grade 6 piece on the new London College of Music clarinet syllabus.
Joby Burgess
One of Britain’s most diverse percussionists, Joby is best known for his virtuosic, often lissom performances, daring collaborations, extensive education work, and regularly appears throughout Europe, the USA and beyond.
Joby commits much of his time to his own projects, most notably with the audio visual collective Powerplant—a collaboration with sound designer, Matthew Fairclough and visual artist, Kathy Hinde—where the worlds of minimalism and electronica collide. Powerplant has released albums on Signum and nonclassical featuring music by Steve Reich, Gabriel Prokofiev, Graham Fitkin and Max de Wardener.
Joby performs, records and collaborates with artists including Peter Gabriel, Will Gregory (Goldfrapp), Dario Marianelli, Max Richter, Sasha and Eric Whitacre. Joby can often be heard on major film and TV scores, notably leading the percussion on Black Panther, The Darkest Hour, The Last Kingdom and was featured on the score to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. His extensive collection of instruments is featured exclusively on Spitfire Audio’s Percussion Redux, recorded at the world famous Air Lyndhurst Hall, London.
