Jess Gillam

Gillam attended the Junior Royal Northern College of Music while at secondary school.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rncm.ac.uk/news/258850/|title=JRNCM Saxophonist Through to BBC Final - Royal Northern College of Music}} She left sixth form early to concentrate on practising the saxophone and then attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester{{Cite web|url=https://www.rncm.ac.uk/news/jess-hits-the-top-with-debut-album/|title=Jess hits the top with début album - Royal Northern College of Music}} but dropped out before completing her undergraduate course. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 she completed a Master's degree from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alternativeclassical.co.uk/interviews/jess-gillam|title=Interview: Jess Gillam|website=Alternative Classical|date=25 September 2020 }}

Gillam is the youngest ever presenter on BBC Radio 3 and the first saxophonist to be signed to Decca Classics Her debut album RISE reached No.1 in the UK Classical chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/classical-news/jess-gillam-rise-no-1/|title=Jess Gillam Continues To Rise With First Classical No. 1|first=Tim|last=Peacock|date=May 6, 2019}}

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to music.{{London Gazette|issue=63377|supp=y|page=B18|date=12 June 2021}}

• RISE (2019)
• CHRISTMAS (2019)
• TIME (2020)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gillam offered her fans the opportunity to participate in several virtual orchestras. This involved participants submitting videos of themselves performing individual parts on their chosen instrument. These were then edited, mixed and published on YouTube. The orchestras attracted participation of well over 500 entries on each occasion, and included the songs "Where Are We Now?", "Let It Be" and "Sleigh Ride".{{Cite web|title=Jess Gillam {{!}} Award Winning Saxophonist {{!}} Ulverston, Cumbria, UK|url=https://www.jessgillamsax.co.uk/vso-where-are-we-now/|access-date=2021-02-25|website=Jess Gillam|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Sophie|date=2020-06-11|title=Watch Jess Gillam's Virtual Scratch Orchestra Perform 'Let It Be'|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/watch-jess-gillams-virtual-scratch-orchestra-perform-let-it-be/|access-date=2021-02-25|website=uDiscover Music|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=Sharon|date=2020-11-05|title=Perform 'Sleigh Ride' With Jess Gillam's Virtual Scratch Orchestra! {{!}}|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/classical-news/perform-sleigh-ride-with-jess-gillams-virtual-scratch-orchestra/|access-date=2021-02-25|website=uDiscover Music|language=en-US}}

• Classic BRIT Award in Sound of Classical 2018 {{Cite web|title=Who is Jess Gillam, the saxophonist? Age, recordings, concerts and father - Classic FM|url=https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/jess-gillam-saxophonist-age-recordings/|date=2020-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407183921/https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/jess-gillam-saxophonist-age-recordings/|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-date=2020-04-07}}
• Young Sounds UK Award (Previously Awards for Young Musicians (AYM)){{Cite web|title=A week with Jess Gillam|url=https://www.a-y-m.org.uk/a-week-with-jess-gillam/|date=2019-04-26|website=Awards for Young Musicians|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-15}}{{Cite web |last=Matthew |date=2024-05-02 |title=Young Sounds UK launches at Fender Celebrity showroom |url=https://www.youngsounds.org.uk/launch-event/ |access-date=2025-05-28 |website=Young Sounds |language=en-GB}}

• BBC Young Musician of the Year, 2016{{Cite web|title=BBC Four - BBC Young Musician, 2016 - Jess Gillam|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2SpMhNq4YPrDpPjZzxmD8Ty/jess-gillam|date=2019-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811153957/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2SpMhNq4YPrDpPjZzxmD8Ty/jess-gillam|access-date=2020-05-15|archive-date=2019-08-11}}
• Last Night of the Proms, 2018{{Cite web|title=Jess Gillam|url=https://www.harrisonparrott.com/artists/jess-gillam|date=2018-03-05|website=HarrisonParrott|language=en|access-date=2020-05-15}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040ch This Classical Life] (BBC Radio 3)
• [https://www.jessgillamsax.co.uk/ Jess Gillam website]

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Category:1998 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Ulverston

Category:British women saxophonists

Category:Classical music radio presenters

Category:21st-century British saxophonists

Category:Alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music

Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:21st-century British women musicians

Category: BBC Radio 3 presenters

Category:British women radio presenters