ELLEN KIRKWOOD

Ellen Kirkwood (born Port Macquarie, Australia, 1985) is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader and educator based in Sydney. She completed a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Jazz Performance, at the Sydney Conservatorium under many Australian Jazz greats including Mike Nock, Warwick Alder, Judy Bailey, Matt McMahon and Dale Barlow. In 2012 she won the Jann Rutherford Memorial Award for young women in Jazz, including a recording at ABC Studios, project funding, and performances in Sydney and Melbourne. As a composer, Kirkwood is rapidly gaining recognition for her imaginative and daring style. Her debut album with sextet Captain Kirkwood, released in 2013 and named Theseus and the Minotaur, featured a 5 part narrated music-story suite which received glowing reviews and critical acclaim. She has since been commissioned to write pieces for a variety of large ensembles, including works premiered at the 2015 and 2016 Sydney International Women's Jazz Festivals. Ellen's music has read more...