Gwilym Simcock & Friends

Saturday 16 May 2026
Crucible Theatre
7.15-10.00 pm, doors open 6.45 pm
in association with Music in the Round

Gwilym Simcock: piano
Conor Chaplin: bass
Rob Buckland: saxophone
Claire Booth: soprano & Ensemble 360
photo credit: Lieve Boussaw

Click Here for Tickets

Gwilym Simcock and his band are joined by world-class classical artists for what promises to be a hugely entertaining evening. His phenomenal talent breathes new jazz-inspired life into award-winning makeovers of classical music. In this exciting jazz-classical piano/voice collaboration with celebrated soprano Claire Booth and musicians from Ensemble 360, the programme brings together jazz standards and classical works by composers such as Debussy, including some newly commissioned arrangements by Gwilym. A meeting of genres which builds on his experience of merging jazz and classical music, not least for a BBC Radio 3 performance of Debussy’s Children’s Corner, but also his own compositions for larger ensembles.

Gwilym Simcock is one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers on the European scene. He has toured extensively with the cream of international jazz artists including Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland and Pat Metheny. His high-profile collaborations with the classical world include a rapturously-received late-night BBC Prom with the classical virtuoso Nigel Kennedy, performing a jazz-infused version of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
https://gwilymsimcock.com/

“Gwilym is one of the most exceptional musicians that I have ever known…he’s a really significant force in music” – Pat Metheny
“Gwilym Simcock, the “jaw-droppingly exciting” pianist – The Guardian
“Gwilym’s an original. A creative genius” – Chick Corea

“An actor-singer who can raise the dramatic heat as soon as she enters the stage” (Opera Now), “that most questing, resourceful and intelligent of sopranos” (Daily Telegraph), British soprano Claire Booth has been widely acclaimed for her “radiant, rapturous, wonderfully nuanced performances” and voice of “piercing purity [and] luscious richness” (The Scotsman). She is renowned for her breadth of repertoire, and for the vitality and musicianship that she brings to the operatic stage and concert platform, with a versatility that encompasses repertoire spanning from Monteverdi and Handel, through Rossini, Berg and Britten, to a fearless commitment to the music of the present day. She won the 2025 RPS Singer Award with the jury celebrating an artistry that “knows no bounds.”

Ensemble 360 has gained an enviable reputation across the UK for the quality and integrity of their performances. Formed in 2005, eleven musicians of international standing came together to take up residency in South Yorkshire with Music in the Round, establishing a versatile group comprising five string players, five wind players and a pianist.  Get a glimpse of them in performance here. They share a passion for the music which radiates through each performance. Their enthusiasm, drive and musicality captivate audiences both through the quality of their playing and their engaging spoken introductions.

Ticket Prices

Full – £23
DLA/PIP/UC £14.00;
Under 35yrs & Student NUS £5

Advance tickets available from https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/crosscurrents-gwilym-simcock-friends