Carnegie Hall

Hailing from Ulverston in Cumbria, England, Jess Gillam is animating the music world with her outstanding talent and infectious personality. She has been forging her own adventurous path since she shot to fame, becoming the first saxophonist to reach the finals of BBC Young Musician and the youngest-ever soloist to perform at the Last Night of the Proms. Passionate about inspiring and bringing joy to people through music, she invites audiences on journeys of musical discovery through her electrifying performances and eclectic programming.

Highlights of the 2022–2023 season include a four-stop US recital tour; her London Symphony Orchestra debut, performing the John Adams Saxophone Concerto with Gianandrea Noseda; and the world premieres of three saxophone concertos: Glasslands by Anna Clyne with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Saxophone Concerto by Dani Howard (commissioned by the London Chamber Orchestra), and Stravaganza by Karl Jenkins with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Further highlights include performances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Manchester Camerata.

Ms. Gillam is the first-ever saxophonist to be signed exclusively to Decca Classics, and both of her albums reached the top of the UK classical music charts. Her debut album was listed in The Times Top 100 Albums of 2019. She has been the recipient of a Classic BRIT Award, a nominee for The Times Breakthrough Award, and an MBE in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours for Services to Music.

As well as performing around the world, Ms. Gillam is a presenter on TV and radio. She became the youngest presenter for BBC Radio 3 with the launch of her own weekly show, This Classical Life. Now in its third year, the show won the prestigious 2020 ARIA Award for Best Specialist Music Show. In July 2021, she presented a special live edition of This Classical Life at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. She has also been a guest presenter for BBC Radio 2 and co-hosted a miniseries for BBC Radio 4’s Today. Keen to explore the creative output of her home county, she presented the series Cumbrian Chats on BBC Radio Cumbria.

Thomas Weaver is an American composer and pianist currently on faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. His active solo and chamber career has brought him to prominent concert halls of many cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Berlin, and Washington, DC, in addition to festival appearances at Tanglewood Music Festival and Red Rocks Music Festival. Mr. Weaver has performed with many eminent musicians, such as Elmira Darvarova, Kenneth Radnofsky, Eric Ruske, Jennifer Frautschi, Gene Pokorny, and members of the New York Philharmonic, The Met Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Weaver is currently a member of the Amram Ensemble, Trio Ardente, and New England Chamber Players. He is the music director of the Marian Anderson Historical Society. A champion of new music, he has premiered many compositions, including works by David Amram, David Loeb, Anthony Plog, John H. Wallace, Francine Trester, and Christopher LaRosa. His playing and arrangements can be heard on the albums David Amram: So in America and Astor Piazzolla: Genius of Tango, both released by Affetto Records.

An award-winning composer, Mr. Weaver writes music that has been performed in halls across four continents, in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Berlin, Vienna, Itami, and Sydney. His works have been commissioned by organizations and musicians, including the New York Chamber Music Festival, Brittany Lasch, Joshua Blumenthal, Pharos Quartet, Alea III, and Daraja Ensemble. Mr. Weaver’s works have also been performed by large ensembles such as the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and Mannes American Composers Ensemble. His compositions have won multiple awards and competitions, including the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation award and the Boston University Composition Competition. As an active educator, he has presented lectures and classes at Northwestern University, Murray State University, Austin Peay State University, and The People’s Music School in Chicago.