Emily Burridge - Biography

Emily started playing the 'cello at the age of five and was encouraged to perform publicly. As well as learning the classical repertoire she "made up tunes" which aided her in expressing her own emotions and feelings through the cello, the foundation of her ability to improvise.

She was later awarded a scholarship to Wells Cathedral school where she received specialist tuition from great ‘cellists Raphael Wallfisch and Amarylis Fleming and was generally trained in both chamber and orchestral playing.

At eighteen she received a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London where she was also awarded the Helen Just Concerto Prize. She was then very fortunate to receive further private tuition with William Pleeth.

Career

She is a renowned master of her instrument, unique in her ability to improvise and cross genres of classical and contemporary music.

She is a much in demand session player, and has worked with Roger Daltrey, George Michael, Chrissie Hind, Jools Holland, Zero 7, Stereophonics and Hans Zimmer to name a few, and is featured on numerous albums and film soundtracks as a featured artist and playing within string sections. (See Sessions/CV)

Until 1990 she was working solely as a 'cellist. Certain events around this time initiated her setting up a studio and she started composing and producing. Her first commission was to write music to accompany readings of the book “Sacred Elephant” by Heathcote Williams.

Readings were given by the author and then the production was adopted by the actress Virginia McKenna. Emily accompanied playing the ‘cello and synthesizers. They toured extensively within England performing for arts festivals and societies.

The Amazon and it's influence on Emily's career

In the early nineties Emily was invited to join members of Earth Love Fund and the Gaia Foundation in a visit to the Amazon region of Brazil. A turning point in her life, The initial result being the production of her first CD “Earth Songs”.

Her association with Brazil developed with an invitation to perform some of "Earth Songs" at the Earth Summit in Rio 1992.

At this event she also came into contact with tribal people for the first time staying at the "Tribal Gathering" where she witnessed and recorded tribal singing and ritual.

This is when her appreciation of Tribal music and culture commenced. Recordings from this event are integrated into songs on "Earth Songs".

	Extracts from "Into the Amazon"
	Dawn by Emily Burridge
	Rain Man Sings by Emily Burridge

“Earth Songs” was published by a German independent and was released in Europe USA and Australia. Extracts from the production were used as soundtracks for videos produced by Artists United for Nature and the Body Shop.

She was then awarded a cultural grant to return to Brazil. Based on the North East Coast she spent a year researching and recording local folk music.

She also worked as a 'cellist utilising her improvisational skills recording and performing Brazilian music.

She started producing her second CD "Footsteps in the Sand" employing Manasés an eminent 12 string guitarist from the North East of Brazil and Milton Fiori a dynamic percussionist.

“Footsteps in the Sand” has received good reviews and is currently available online.

Whilst in Brazil she started working with Gandalf the Austrian producer and guitarist who was on tour in Brazil. On returning to Europe she spent some time in Vienna co-writing songs for his next two CD productions "Gates to Secret Realities" and "Barakaya" on which Emily is featured singing and playing the 'cello.

She also toured extensively with his band performing both as singer and ‘cellist. “Barakaya” was re-released by the German label GMC in 2005. Emily Burridge's collaborative discography

The Xavante

Parallel to her musical research in Brazil, empathy towards the indigenous cultures developed. In particular a tribe called the "Xavante".

Whilst living in Brazil she visited them on a few occasions and in collaboration with the Chief formulated a project to benefit the community, "Xavante centre of herbal medicine /small clinic" (pictured left).

On returning to the UK she founded a registered charity “Indigenous People’s Cultural Support Trust”.

The project gained support from both organisations and individuals and over the next four years Emily regularly lived and worked amongst the Xavante. The centre was inaugurated amidst festive songs and dancing in January 1998 (see above).

Central in the Xavante culture is the tradition of singing. Emily was invited to record both groups and individuals.

Over the years she compiled a library of their traditional singing and these recordings have now been integrated into her new production “Bridge between Worlds”, an orchestral work written for full orchestra and featured ‘cello and the live production "Bach,Burridge & into the Amazon"

Present Day

Now based in England accordingly productions have been developing. She has her own studio from which she works. Here she has completed the writing of her orchestral work "Bridge between Worlds", developed the performance "Bach, Burridge and into the Amazon" and has produced various compositions with fellow musicians, including developing a duo with the highly acclaimed Pedal Steel Guitarist BJ Cole.

Their repertoire includes arrangements of pieces by Henry Purcell and Aaron Copeland and Eric Satie as well as their own compositions. A dialogue has developed between the instruments and the classical pieces provide a window through which they enter a world of improvisation. They have extensively performed together including festivals and more intimate chamber music settings. See "Current live productions"

She has various pieces published for film music through library companies KPM, Fireworks and West One and is regularly employed for session work.

She continues to visit the indigenous communities in Brazil and has set up the Humming Bird Fund (2008) to collect a percentage of royalties on behalf of the tribal groups integrated in her music.

For enquiries regarding concert booking please e mail: admin@emilyburridge.com