James Mainwaring
PhD Performance
James Mainwaring is an award winning saxophonist, composer and teacher with progressing interests in music which integrates composition and improvisation using acoustic and electronic instrumentation. He has performed world wide, on TV and various radio broadcasts. He graduated from Leeds College of Music with a 1st class BA (hons) degree and the George Murphy Prize for Saxophone. Currently he is completing a PhD in composition at the University of York where he is recipient of the Sir Jack Lyons Research Scholarship. James is involved in a number of projects including the Mercury, Mobo and Jazz FM award nominated Roller Trio. They have been featured on BBC introducing, BBC 1 London News and Channel 4. Additionally they won the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award in 2011, have been commissioned by PRSF two years in a row and have toured extensively with a growing following and critical acclaim. In 2012 James received a Jazz Services grant to record his debut quartet album, which will feature pianist Matthew Bourne, Mick Bardon and Joost Hendrickx. James has also received the Emerging Excellence Award (2013) from Musicians Benevolent fund. Other projects include various line ups from a Leeds-based collective of improvising musicians, multi-media project Space Fight (who are 2013 Jazz Ambassadors of the North and supported Sound and Music) and Stoop Quintet. James is also on the Fusebox promoters team, an exciting new night in Leeds hosting the best of British Improvised music.
James holds a Sir Jack Lyons Scholarship
Supervisor Dr Jonathan Eato