Elliot Galvin (UK)

Elliot Galvin is an award-winning composer, pianist, and improvisor based in London. His work is predominantly concerned with the incorporation of improvisation and use of eclectic juxtapositions of sound in a variety of environments and contexts. His critically acclaimed trio have released 4 albums to date being named one of the 2018 albums of the year in both Downbeat and Jazzwise Magazines along with working with Marius Neset, Mark Lockheart, Emma Jean Thackray and the Mercury Nominated band Dinosaur. As an improvisor he has released albums with Mark Sanders, Binker Golding and his entirely improvised solo piano album recorded in concert at Fondation Louis Vuiton in Paris, which was named The Guardian’s album of the month, and BBC Music magazine’s album of the year.

As a composer he has been commissioned by several prestigious ensembles and festivals including the London Sinfonietta, Ligeti Quartet, John’s Smith Square and the London Jazz Festival. He also works as an audio artist displaying installations at the Turner Contemporary Gallery and recently in Oxford as part of the Oxford Ideas Festival and Oxford Contemporary Music. Elliot teaches at both Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

His upcoming album “The Ruin” features some of the most unique voices in contemporary music – Mandhira de Saram on violin, Ruth Goller on bass /voice and Sebastian Rochford on drums – this highly personal and reflective new album explores “The Ruin” within one’s self and within society.

Written on his childhood piano, the music depicts the bleak yet beautiful landscapes of his hometown, whilst taking us on a journey of abstraction where humanity meets technology. This magical and other-worldly environment is brought to life by the additional layer of modular synthesizers, alongside the acoustic sonority of the piano. The album is scheduled for release in January 2025 on Gearbox Records.

“A virtuosic, risk-embracing one-off” – John Fordham, The Guardian