Emma Rawicz is a London-based jazz musician, saxophonist, composer and bandleader. [1]
Rawicz won Jazz Newcomer of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2022, [2] won a Drake YolanDa award in 2021, [3] was a finalist in BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2022 [4] and nominated for Instrumentalist of the Year at Jazz FM Awards 2021. [5]
Emma Rawicz has chromesthesia, a type of synesthesia which involves seeing colours when hearing sounds. [6] [7] [8] On ACT Music, her second album of original compositions, “Chroma”, is named after the Ancient Greek word for colour. [9]
Emma Rawicz grew up in Devon, playing classical violin and then switching to the saxophone from the age of 15 years old, [10] [1] studying at Junior Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Chetham's School of Music [10] and then the Royal Academy of Music, [11] [1] with support and guidance from various experienced performers including Gareth Lockrane, [10] Ivo Neame [10] and Nikki Iles.
The Emma Rawicz Jazz Orchestra has performed self-composed music at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, [12] at which Rawicz also is one of the regular hosts of the Late Late Shows. [13]
Jazz FM broadcast a radio episode in which Emma Rawicz performed and was interviewed as an expert in the life and works of John Coltrane. [14]
Rawicz has some Polish heritage through her grandfather [7] and is also known by the full name Emma Rawicz-Szczerbo. [15]