Whirlpool Series at the Vortex 2025/26
(October 2025)
The Vortex is happy to announce the curators in the forthcoming year’s cohort for its Whirlpool series.
The curators for the next year are:
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Jason Phillips (drums)
Loir Solomons-White (piano)
Royal Academy of Music:
Ananda Brandao (drums)
Dom Howard (guitar)
Trinity Laban:
Oli Fitgerald (bass)
Barney Anderson (guitar)
Olivia Hughes (trombone)
Whirlpool was created in 2023, in order to help musicians embark on their musical careers, as it helps fill the gap for them in which they find themselves immediately after they graduate. There is nothing like this currently in London.
It is named after the album of pianist and educator John Taylor, who was a regular at the Vortex for many years, and indeed was the first person to use our current piano!
The musicians were chosen in partnership with the heads of the jazz courses at three of London’s main conservatoires (Nick Smart (RAM), Jo Lawry (GSMD), Hans Koller (Trinity Laban). Musicians from previous Whirlpool series are already making major impact. Kasper Rietkerk in particular has just won the prestigious Jazz (Edison) Prize for Best Newcomer in the Netherlands. Julian Woods is embarking on his second tour of Austria.
The scheme consists of a monthly series of gigs, where each of the curators gets to perform original music, and looks to make contacts with musicians who had been on other jazz courses. They will be mentored by people from The Vortex as well as Sam Eastmond, a trumpeter who has recorded three big band albums of John Zorn’s music.
The first gig will include new music by the curators, to be followed by monthly gigs, focusing on specific members to curate.
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Oliver Weindling, Director at Vortex Jazz Club, says:
“We are so happy to be continuing this series and making friends with the new exciting generation of musicians appearing on the scene. The last series was a blast, and we’re flattered by the progress that the musicians are making. The musicians made a great impact when they did a residency at Inntöne Festival in Austria and the buzz continues. The series has several functions. Encouraging musicians to curate an evening of new music and making contacts further afield.”
The scheme consists of a monthly series of gigs, where each of the curators gets to perform original music, and looks to make contacts with musicians who had been on other jazz courses. They are mentored by trumpeter/band leader/educator Sam Eastmond.
The Whirlpool Series is currently funded totally from internal resources of the Vortex. We are looking for additional sources of funding to extend the reach and extent of the project.
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For more information contact Oliver Weindling, oliver@vortexjazz.co.uk 07773373317