Tag: Emerging Artists

St James Quarter Sessions back and bigger for 2024

St James Quarter Sessions will return this August for a second outing. Edinburgh’s free music festival will offer a diverse range of musical performances from over 80 incredible emerging artists.

St James Quarter Sessions, Edinburgh city centre’s much talked about free music festival, will be back for a second year and promises to be bigger with the addition of new venues and stages.

From Friday 16th August to Sunday 25th August, guests can get that festival feeling in the heart of the Capital – with not an inch of mud in sight!

This year’s St James Quarter Sessions will launch on August 2nd with a series of pop-up busking performances in partnership with SNACK Magazine. Running throughout August, musicians can apply for a paid performance slot with applications set to open on Friday 5th July.

After launching in 2023, St James Quarter Sessions will again take place during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, supporting some of Scotland’s unique up-and-coming musicians as well as bringing in more established performers from across the UK.

2024 also sees the addition of a rooftop stage with jaw-dropping views across Edinburgh to the castle, Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill. The free music festival will fill all floors with more than 80 acts performing across the Galleria and 5 venues within the Quarter from pop-up live acoustic sets and DJs to full band performances with a diverse mix of artists from indie rock and alt-pop to jazz fusion and hip hop.

St James Quarter has also teamed up with Forth 1’s Boogie in the Morning to find the best of local talent who will win the chance to perform on one of the stages during the festival AND a day in the W Edinburgh recording studio.

With this unique addition to the Fringe Festival offerings, guests should expect the unexpected throughout the 10 days of Sessions, with a whole host of performances from impressive music talent.

Fans can anticipate the line-up to be filled with their favourite DJs, musicians, and rising artists. The Quarter’s stores, dining, and entertainment venues will also be joining in with the festival spirit including performances in Bonnie & Wild, Gordon Ramsay Street Burger, The Botanist, The Alchemist and Duck & Waffle.

Free tickets will be available on the St James Quarter app later this month, along with the full line-up announcement for St James Quarter Sessions 2024.

Susan Hewlett, Brand and Marketing Director, said: “2024 has been a tumultuous year for the music industry, specifically festivals, many of which have sadly been cancelled due to rising costs and consumers being more cash conscious.

“The success of the first St James Quarter Sessions allowed guests to experience emerging live music talent in the city centre for free, whilst also being able to take advantage of an exciting array of food and drink offerings and amenities.

“The month-long festival all under our glass canopy in the comfort of the Galleria allowed visitors to experience memorable, intimate performances with incredible talent with our retail and leisure partners commercially benefitting from the rise in footfall too.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a calendar highlight for many of our guests, and we cannot wait to be at the heart of the buzz, welcoming our guests to the second edition of St James Quarter Sessions.”

Guests can sign up for free tickets by downloading the St James Quarter App, which allows them to stay updated with events happening throughout the Quarter for Sessions and beyond.

For more information, please email: stjamesquarter@johndoehub.com  

Scotland’s musical stars of the future are showcased at Usher Hall’s Emerging Artists series

  • Usher Hall partners with Live Music Now Scotland to present some of Scotland’s finest young musicians.
  • Concerts in December and January include New Antonine Brass, Jacopo Lazzaretti, Armonia Duo and Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally.
  • Tickets only £3 and free for students.
  • Booking now on www.usherhall.co.uk

The Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland have partnered to present a series of special concerts at Usher Hall that showcase the best upcoming musical talent from Scotland. The Emerging Artists series returns for its 10th season and will have four concerts across December and January, each presented by different musicians performing a different style of music.

Tickets are available to book now at www.usherhall.co.uk for only £3 and are free for students.

This partnership forms part of the Usher Hall’s civic commitment and the venue gifts the space to Live Music Now.  Many great acts have performed as part of previous Emerging Artists series, including big names in the folk and trad scenes such as Skerryvore and Manran.

New Antonine Brass will return to the Usher Hall to perform a varied programme on the 9th of December. From the opening brilliance of Olympic Fanfare to bringing some Christmas spirit with selections from The Nutcracker there’s something for everyone.

As well as playing some well-known brass quintet repertoire, they will also branch out into the world of musical theatre with a mammoth arrangement of songs and dances from West Side Story. There is even a time travelling surprise at the very end of the recital and of course, the chance for some audience participation with our traditional Bavarian snow waltz.

On Monday 6 January, the classical guitarist Jacopo Lazzaretti focuses on Italian composers from different periods – Giulio Regondi, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Carlo Domeniconi.

This concert will take audiences on a journey that will explore some of the sonorities and atmospheres of 19th and 20th century through the virtuosism of the classical guitar.

The following week, Armonia Duo (Cuban violinist Eddy Betancourt & Scottish accordionist Valerie Barr) will present a diverse programme including works by Bach, Ravel and Piazzolla on 13 January.

Keen to explore the versatility of both of their instruments, they will play their own transcriptions of popular pieces that explore a wide variety of styles included within the classical genre. The duo first met at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and joined Live Music Now Scotland in 2019, and have since enjoyed many performances together in venues across the country.

To round off three weeks of inspiring music making, 20th January sees Scottish folk duo Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally, comprising of former BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2018 and finalist, draw from the Scottish, English, Irish and American music traditions.

They’re set to perform a range of traditional, cover and original material that showcases their own musicality and passion for songs and melodies of the people.

The Emerging Artists series is funded by Kimie Trust (Scottish Charity SC040611).

Kimie Trust was established in 2009, in memory of Kimie Okada, for the support of organisations that advance music, its performance and its appreciation in Scotland. Kimie Trust is funded by a bequest of Kimie Okada (1929 – 2008), who loved music all her life, moved from Tokyo to Edinburgh in 1993 and was always keen to support music in the country that she had made her home.

She regularly attended classical music concerts at the Usher Hall. Kimie Trust is proud to support Edinburgh’s Emerging Artists Series of concerts, now in its tenth season.

Cllr Donald Wilson, Culture and Communities Convener, The City of Edinburgh Council said: “We’re delighted to support this initiative which provides young emerging artists the opportunity to perform on the Usher Hall’s stage where all the greats have stood such as Kathleen Ferrier, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Pink Floyd, Lang Lang, George Ezra and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to name a few. 

“We couldn’t be happier to continue our involvement which helps us to continually develop the arts and live music in the capital.  Since the partnership began, audiences have enjoyed a creative and eclectic programme and we hope our support continues to provide inspiration for everyone involved”

Carol Main, Director Live Music Now Scotland, said: “The Emerging Artists series at the Usher Hall gives our musicians an unparalleled opportunity to perform on one of the world’s greatest concert platforms at the outset of their professional careers.

“Now in its tenth season, the series also gives audiences the opportunity to spot talent on the rise and chat with them after the concert. Seating the audience in the organ gallery, with the performers facing them rather than out into the huge auditorium, makes for a surprisingly intimate space, enabling closer audience/performer engagement than the more conventional concert hall experience. We are enormously indebted to Kimie Trust for funding the Emerging Artists series every year since it started in 2010/11.”

Concert Listings

Emerging Artists – New Antonine Brass

11:00am, Monday 9 December 2019

Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students

Emerging Artists – Jacopo Lazzaretti

11:00am, Monday 6 January 2020

Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students

Emerging Artists – Armonia Duo

11:00am, Monday 13 January 2020

Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students

Emerging Artists – Hannah Rarity and Luc McNally

11:00am, Monday 20 January 2020

Tickets: £3.00, Free for Students.