Ask me a question Kit Downes Musician Tell us a little about yourself I play the piano, organ, cello and compose. I love travelling and reading.
Amazing to hear improvisers playing in such a ‘chamber’-like way – with such intense focus on dynamics and phrasing. Early on, being in a choir when I was around I always come back to listening to Ravel also – the string quartet in particular. eight years of age was a big influence on me, singing everything from Palestrina What was the last CD or music to Pärt seven days a week. Then listening download that you purchased? to records by my heroes – such as Oscar My friend Petter Eldh’s new live album – Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Bill Frisell etc. Koma Saxo (live) – which is a blast. Then later again, once I was studying, I was very influenced by my teachers and What are your plans for the future? mentors, such as John Taylor, Iain Ballamy, To get through the pandemic as sane as and Nick Smart. I am lucky to have lots of possible, then pick up where I left off, inspiring people in my life, and they are hopefully! Also to try and continue all the a constant and powerful influence on me cross-European collaborations I was part of and my music. before Brexit. It feels even more important What would you say is your greatest to reach out now. achievement to date? Finally, what is your ISM membership Recording my piano trio album for ECM to you? Records (last week). But it is difficult to Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career?
quantify achievements etc in a field like this, as sometimes the biggest musical breakthroughs happen on your own in a practice room! Who is your all-time favourite artist and why? I can’t pick one thing of course, but at the moment I have been feeling very inspired by Jimmy Guiffre’s trio record called ‘61.
Kit Downes is a BBC Jazz Award winning, Mercury Music Award nominated, solo recording artist for ECM Records. He has toured the world playing piano, church organ and harmonium with his own bands (ENEMY, Troyka and Elt) as well as with artists such as Squarepusher, Empirical, Benny Greb and Sam Amidon. He has written commissions for Cheltenham Music Festival, London Contemporary Orchestra, Ensemble Klang at ReWire Festival, the Scottish Ensemble, Cologne Philharmonie and the Wellcome Trust.
Kit performs solo pipe organ and solo piano concerts and also plays in collaborations with saxophonist Tom Challenger, cellist Lucy Railton, composer Shiva Feshareki and with I really value how ISM has helped me, in a ENEMY. He is also currently working few different ways, most recently with the with violinist Aidan O’Rourke, composer Max de Wardener and in an organ trio access to the Viva La Visa scheme, which with Reinier Baas and Jonas Burgwinkel. has hugely helped to de-mystify the extremely complicated travel regulations He teaches at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he himself around both Brexit and Covid. studied and where he now holds a Fellowship. Kitdownes.com @kitdownes
Recommend ISM membership to a friend With music professionals working in an increasingly uncertain world, ISM membership is more essential than ever. You can help to grow the ISM community by encouraging your friends and colleagues to join. We’ll also give you money off your next year’s membership fee every time someone you recommend joins us at the full or early career rate – £20 off if you are a full rate member, or £10 off if you are an early
ism.org
@ism_music
facebook.com/ISMusicians
career rate member. If they join at the full rate, we’ll give them £10 off their membership fee too. Send the name and email address of the friend(s) you are recommending to membership@ism.org. Ask your friend to quote the code FULLREC if they are joining us at the full rate or EARLYREC if they are joining at the early career rate. Find out more at ism.org/recommend @ism_music
incorporated-society-of-musicians
ism_music
