Olivia Murphy’s Siren Cycle, Alexander Hawkins and Ni Maxine complete Cheltenham Jazz Festival 2025 Line Up

The festival features a strong line-up at the Town Hall, Arena, Big Top and Parabola Arts Centre as part of the full Cheltenham Jazz Festival programme. The Friday night gets underway with a grooving set from Afro-beat-jazzers KOKOROKO in the Town Hall, while acclaimed trumpeter / arranger Guy Barker brings his Soul Jazz Summit to the Big Top with his Big Band and BBC Concert Orchestra backing guest singers Emeli Sandé, Vanessa Haynes, Tommy Blaize, Lucy-Anne Daniels and Curtis Stigers.

New features of the 2025 line-up include the Arena stage becoming a standing venue for the first time and a new younger line-up at the Parabola programmed by Alex Carr with a focus on exciting emerging UK talent, established names and international collaborations.

Chief among the Parabola bookings is a fascinating duo formed by top British pianist Alexander Hawkins and remarkable Swedish singer Sofia Jernberg, whose operatic range, palette of unique wordless sounds and ability finesse her technique on everything from folk songs and pop anthems like ‘What The World Needs Now’, should provide some serious sonic thrills (PAC, 3 May, 1.30pm).

Closing out the PAC programme on Sunday 4 May at 7.30pm will be the premiere of an ambitious new work from composer/saxophonist Olivia Murphy, who performs ‘Siren Cycle’ with her 16-piece Orchestra. Specially commissioned by longstanding Cheltenham associate and Birmingham-based producer, Tony Dudley-Evans, Murphy describes the work as “my adaptation and retelling of the creation of sirens. From female creatures with wings that lure in men at sea with their elusive song, such as in ‘The Odyssey’ or ‘Jason and The Argonauts’, to the more widely known mermaids with fish-like tails, combing their hair.”

The music is based around an original long-form poem about three sisters who embark on a “dark and terrifying voyage to search for their abducted fourth sister. They encounter a sorceress, a goddess and the muses, and go through several horrible transformations all in hope of reuniting their family.” The text will be recited, sung, improvised and narrated by the four vocalists – Becca Wilkins, Rebecka Edlund, Lucy-Anne Daniels and Maddie Ashman (also on cello) – as characters in the poem, interacting with the strings, woodwinds, brass and rhythm section of the orchestra.

More new names to look out for include two rising singers at the annual new talent Showcase concert at the Jazz Arena (3 May, 12.30pm). This year it’s 24-year-old North London singer songwriter/guitarist Maya Delilah, who performs songs from her recently released debut on Blue Note, The Long Way Round, and Jazz FM Award winning Liverpool-based jazz vocalist Ni Maxine, who was recently featured as part of the Mississippi Goddamn concert at London’s Southbank.

These shows join those already announced for the wider line-up: Billy Cobham (3 May, 2pm, Town Hall); Corinne Bailey Rae with Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra (3 May, 2pm, Big Top); Joe Armon-Jones (3 May, 4pm, Jazz Arena); Submotion Orchestra (3 May, 7.30pm, Jazz Arena); James Brandon Lewis Trio (4 May, 12.30pm, Jazz Arena); Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent Quartet (4 May, 12.30pm, Dunkertons Taproom); Claire Martin sings Rhapsody in Blue (4 May, 2pm, Town Hall); Keyon Harrold (4 May, 4pm, Jazz Arena); Nubya Garcia (4 May, 9pm, Town Hall); Buena Vista All Stars (5 May, 1pm, Big Top); Neil Cowley Trio (5 May, 2.30pm, Jazz Arena) and Kim Cypher (5 May, 6.30pm, Jazz Arena). Jazzwise is festival media partner.

For full programme and tickets visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/jazz