Alexandra Ridout Quartet

Description

At just 27 years old, Alexandra Ridout is already part of that young generation of musicians who shape contemporary jazz not only with exceptional instrumental skill but with a unique musical signature. Born in the UK and now based in Harlem, New York, the trumpeter, composer, and bandleader has earned a remarkable place in the international jazz scene within a few years. For the audience of Musig im Pflegidach, Alexandra Ridout is no stranger. Already at her first appearance in Muri, then alongside New York drummer Jochen Rückert, she left a lasting impression. Her distinctive tone, musical maturity, and natural way of moving within a top-class ensemble convinced from the very first moment. It is all the more delightful to welcome her back to Muri – this time not as a sideman, but with her own quartet and her own music. Ridout made the decisive step into the spotlight in 2016 when she won the prestigious BBC Young Musician Jazz Award. At that time, she was just 17 years old. What followed reads like the career of a musician who has pursued her path with remarkable consistency: in 2018, she was named "Rising Star" at the British Jazz Awards, in 2022 she received the Laurie Frink Career Grant, in 2023 she won the "Best Soloist" prize at the Keep an Eye International Jazz Award and took second place the same year at the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition. In 2025, she was finally admitted to the renowned Next Jazz Legacy Program by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice – with Melissa Aldana as bandleader mentor and Marquis Hill as creative mentor. That Ridout now lives in Harlem is far more than a geographical footnote. New York has become a crucial part of her musical development. Here she moves in a scene where generations, styles, and musical biographies meet daily. And Ridout is no longer just an observer of this scene but a part of it. Her distinctive voice on the trumpet has brought her together with some of the most exciting musicians in today's jazz. She has played and toured with, among others, five-time Grammy winner Samara Joy, Artemis, the all-star formation led by Renee Rosnes, as well as Melissa Aldana, Kit Downes, Dayna Stephens, Jochen Rückert, Arturo O’Farrill, Or Bareket, Caroline Davis, Miguel Zenón, Pablo Held, Savannah Harris, and the Mingus Big Band. Particularly formative in recent years has been her collaboration with American trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas. At the Festival of New Trumpet Music in New York, curated by Douglas, Ridout was already featured in 2022 with her own trio as performer and composer. Later came joint appearances and finally collaboration on Douglas’ project "Alloy." The album of the same name was released in 2025 by Greenleaf Music and brings Ridout together with Dave Douglas and David Adewumi in an unusual frontline of three trumpets. Instead of instrumental competition, the focus is exactly on what also shapes Ridout's own musical thinking: sound, dialogue, mutual listening, and the fusion of independent voices into something new. At Musig im Pflegidach, Alexandra Ridout now comes to Muri for the first time with her own quartet. And here another side of this extraordinary musician becomes apparent. For as impressive as her previous awards and collaborations are – as a bandleader, Ridout is about her own music. Her compositions connect the different worlds that have shaped her. The British jazz tradition meets the openness and energy of the current New York scene, melodic clarity meets more complex structures, composed passages meet improvisational freedom. The trumpet is not the solo instrument above the ensemble. Ridout is more interested in counterpoint, interaction, and musical dialogue. Her pieces create spaces where four independent voices react to each other, challenge each other, and develop the music together. For this purpose, she has assembled a quartet that counts among the most exciting young formations of the current New York scene. On piano is Yvonne Rogers, on double bass Simón Willson, and on drums David Sirkis. All three belong to a generation of musicians who move with remarkable ease between tradition and the present. Their previous musical paths have led them to artists such as Bill Frisell, Sullivan Fortner, Linda May Han Oh, Ethan Iverson, Joel Ross, Gilad Hekselman, and Walter Smith III. But what matters less is the sum of these names than what emerges from the quartet. Ridout has consciously conceived this band as an ensemble. Not a backing band for a trumpet soloist, but four personalities who develop a musical language together. The composition forms the starting point – what emerges from it is decided in the moment. Perhaps it is exactly this mixture that currently makes Alexandra Ridout one of the most interesting young voices on the trumpet: an extraordinary technical sovereignty combined with a warm, clear, and immediately recognizable tone – and at the same time the willingness to give the music space. Bassist Matt Penman put it aptly: from the very first note, you know you are dealing with an independent voice here. We actually knew that in Muri after her first visit. Now Alexandra Ridout returns – with her own band, her own compositions, and a musical voice that has only become more distinctive since then. Alexandra Ridout – trumpet
Yvonne Rogers – piano
Simón Willson – double bass
David Sirkis – drums

Highlights

• Alexandra Ridout Quartet live in Muri
• Winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2016
• Impressive musical maturity and unique style

General Information

The Alexandra Ridout Quartet performs at Pflegi Muri, presenting a blend of contemporary jazz. The talented trumpeter and composer has established herself in the international jazz scene and will offer an unforgettable concert with her quartet.

Location

Nordklosterrain 1, 5630 Muri AG, Switzerland

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