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The Department of Music is excited to welcome saxophonist Jess Gillam to campus March 5 to 8. Gillam is the 2023-2024 Bragg Artist-in-Residence, and her residency will include a full schedule of student workshops and class visits, a master class, public talks, and concludes with a concert with pianist Tom Weaver.

“Jess Gillam is one of the most exciting young musicians on the international scene, so we are thrilled to welcome her to Mount Allison as the fifth Bragg Artist-in-Residence,” says Dr. Stephen Runge, music department head. “In addition to being one of today's finest saxophonists, Jess is a well-known broadcaster and presenter, and is passionate about contemporary music and the importance of music in today's world. I know her residency will be an invaluable experience for the department.”

Gillam is the first ever saxophonist to be signed exclusively to the Decca Classics record label and both of her albums reached No. 1 in the U.K. classical music charts. She has performed in prestigious concert halls and with world-class orchestras around the globe including the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, and Lahti Symphony Orchestra.

Gillam also became one of the youngest presenters ever for BBC Radio and hosts BBC‘s This Classical Life. She is celebrated for her strong advocacy for the positive influence of music in public life. While at Mount Allison, she will deliver a public talk about the power of music and the reasons musicians feel the need to create.

More about Gillam and her upcoming activities at Mount Allison can be found on the Bragg Women Music Opportunities website.

The public concert — a recital of works for saxophone and piano by Jess Gillam and Tom Weaver — is Friday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Brunton Auditorium.

The Bragg Artist-in-Residence program was created in 2017 thanks to the generosity of John and Judy Bragg.

“We are so thankful that the Bragg family,” says Runge. “This residency provides our students, faculty, as well as the wider community unique learning and performance opportunities with world-renowned musicians, scholars, performances, and composers.”