Tom Ollendorf - Solo Guitarist
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Born in London in 1992, Tom Ollendorff is fast becoming one of the best-known young guitarists to emerge on the international jazz scene. A graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff, he was awarded the Yamaha Parliamentary Jazz Scholarship in 2015 before moving to London in 2016 to begin a career as professional musician.
In 2021 his debut album A Song For You was released on Fresh Sound Records and received international acclaim with The Guardian describing it as ‘traditional but very classy, Música Jazz saying it is a ‘highly recommended album for those who care about the fate of jazz guitar’ and both BBC Music Magazine and Jazz Journal awarding it 4 star reviews.
The album’s release launched an international touring career that has seen Tom perform at many of Europe’s best known Jazz clubs including Ronnie Scott’s, Sunset-Sunside, Jamboree, Jimmy Glass, Jazz-Hus Montmartre, Nardis, Budapest Jazz Club, Jazz in Bess, Jazz Club Ferrara and countless others as well as performances at notable venues and festivals including Glastonbury Festival, The Cedars Hall, London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and the One Day Jazz Festival in Slovakia.
His latest album Open House was released in May 2023 and sees a continuation of his work with his trio with long-term trio featuring Marc Michel on drums and Conor Chaplin on bass, with the addition of the critically acclaimed saxophonist Ben Wendel on four tracks. The recent release has received global recognition and has seen Tom continue to build his international reputation and following.
Tom has been fortunate to work extensively as a sideman with a wide range of artists including Ari Hoenig, Bill McHenry, Geoff Simkins, Huw Warren, Tim Garland, Nitai Hershkovits and The Fresh Sound Ensemble.
Tom is known for his highly distinctive sound which blends virtuosic technique, sophisticated harmonic concepts with nuance and sensitivity. His innovative and distinctive approach to the guitar has led to Tom building a following in the broader guitar community and in 2022 he published his first works for solo guitar with Faber Music. The book, titled ‘Etudes’ has been sold across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North America.
Tom is currently a visiting tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and has been a guest tutor at many top institutions internationally including The Guildhall, Nanjing University, Istanbul Bachesir University and Leeds College of Music.