Zoe Rahman
Jazz
Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. A vibrant and highly individual pianist/composer, her style is deeply rooted in jazz yet it reflects her classical background, British/Bengali heritage and her very broad musical taste. Known for her powerful technique, wide-ranging imagination and exuberant performance, she has become a highly sought-after musician, working most recently with the likes of George Mraz, Courtney Pine and Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra.
Zoe studied classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music, took a music degree at Oxford University and then won a scholarship to study jazz performance at Berklee College of Music, Boston, where she studied with the inspirational pianist JoAnne Brackeen. Zoe’s second album, Melting Pot, won Jazz Album of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and was nominated in 2006 for the Nationwide Mercury Prize. She later won a MOBO Award (best Jazz Act 2012) for Kindred Spirits, her fifth album on her own Manushi label.
She has worked extensively throughout the UK and internationally and has been invited to play at many international jazz festivals in recent years including North Sea, Molde, Barbados, Cork, Palermo and Estonia. She has been a featured artist on numerous TV and radio networks and is frequently invited to sit on high-profile panels, including the Mercury Music Prize. Zoe shares her passion for music through teaching in a variety of contexts, inspiring musicians of all ages and abilities. From 2013-14 she was Artist in Residence with youth big band Jazz Vehicle in Lincoln.
