Line Up:
Dom Howard, is a guitarist and composer from Cambridge, studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Dom draws on post-rock and progressive metal, classical music and a variety of improvised music into his music, working extensively with pedals. He has played and recorded in a variety of ensembles and co-led award winning prog metal band 'Influx of Insanity' from 2016-21.
Ashkan Layegh, is an Iranian composer, multi-instrumentalist and improviser, currently finishing his Master of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music.
His music focuses on the nature of spontaneity and notions of how sound objects appear improvised— whether through live-action music making or a highly detailed score. His music has been performed by his own ensembles, at such venues as Kings Place and Southbank Centre, as well as by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Septura Brass.
Scottie Thompson, is a jazz pianist and composer. He regularly performs in a variety of styles, in major venues across London and the UK. Aside from performing, Scottie has won multiple composition awards, with some of his arrangements having been played on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM in recent years. Scottie is currently in his final year at the Royal Academy of Music.
Kasper Rietkerk, is an award-winning saxophonist. He has worked with Eddie Chacon, John Caroll Kirby, Ben Nobuto, Jean Toussaint (among others) and he is part of the Emma Rawicz Jazz Orchestra. He did several tv and radio performances and took part in writing the music for VPRO’s television series ‘Naar Bed’. In 2023 Kasper and his band KRSIX played several gigs in the UK, where Kasper is based, and in the Netherlands, where he is originally from.
Kielan Sheard,finalist of BBC ‘Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2020’, is an upright and electric bassist and composer from London. He started playing classical double bass at the age of nine and began jazz at age thirteen. Kielan joined the Junior Royal Academy of Music when he was fifteen, when he was taught by Gareth Lockrane. Kielan is currently studying at Trinity Laban, where he is a holder of The Founders Scholarship.