Simon Lasky
Biography
British pianist and composer, Simon Lasky, was a Junior Exhibitioner at Trinity College of Music in London, studying piano, composition and French horn, from the age of 11. He graduated from the University of Bristol with a First Class Honours degree in Music in 1997 and a Masters in Music Composition in 1998. Following his graduation, Simon performed as a side-man, and then band leader, on cruise ships including two World Cruises on the famous QE2 ocean liner.
“Lasky’s music is atmospheric, melodic, airy, thoughtful and often influenced by the Pat Metheny Group without being too derivative.”
— Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene
Simon has taught jazz piano, composition and Musicianship at Trinity College of Music Junior Department since 2006 and has been Head of Jazz at Bradfield College in Berkshire since 2005.
Since settling in London in 2005 Simon has established himself as a piano player, composer and arranger on the jazz scene working with some of the U.K’s leading instrumentalists and vocalists and performing at some of London’s top jazz venues. Short-listed by The SPNM, Simon’s compositions for the concert platform received performances at Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square and The Barbican Hall.
Following the award of a scholarship to participate in a Music Residency at The Banff Centre in Canada in 2014, Simon focused his compositional activities solely on jazz forming the 6-piece Simon Lasky Group. Signed to 33Jazz Records in 2015 their debut album received excellent reviews and substantial radio airplay on JazzFM in the U.K and National Public Radio in the U.S. London Jazz News described the album as “A paean to well-constructed composition and honest-to-goodness musical texture.“
The Simon Lasky Group have performed at many of the leading jazz venues in London including the 606 Club, Jazz Café Posk and The Bull’s Head in Barnes. Their follow up album – ‘About The Moment’ (also on 33Jazz Records) – was released in January 2018 receiving praise on both sides of the Atlantic: Writing in the LA Jazz Scene magazine, leading U.S critic Scott Yanow said “Lasky’s music constantly evolves, rather than being a set of chord changes, and the emphasis is on ensembles rather than solos…the intriguing music of ‘About the Moment’ is well worth a close listen.” The album received glowing reviews in Jazzwise magazine and Jazz Journal. For London Jazz News critic Rob Mallows said “a thrilling album… There are certainly plenty of moments in ‘About the Moment’ that take your breath away.”
Simon’s composition ‘Close To Ecstasy’ won the 2018 British Composer Award in the ‘Jazz Composition for Small Ensemble’ category and was broadcast on the BBC. In Autumn 2018 Simon was awarded a Fellowship to teach on the undergraduate jazz programme at the University of South Florida where he is studying for a Masters in Jazz Studies and is Assistant to Grammy-nominated jazz composer Chuck Owen.
High-res promo photos:
