Emily Jones

Emily is a programmer for Cheltenham Jazz Festival (UK), Chair of the Jazz Promotion Network (UK/IRL), creative producer, occasional drummer and fervent maker of lists.

About Me

Thanks to diving into gig promoting while President of her university the Jazz and Blues Society, Emily has gone on to spend 10 years programming live music across classical, jazz, world, folk, electronica and beyond. She has worked in venues including London's Barbican Centre, Symphony Hall in Birmingham, and most recently as Head of Programming at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, one of the UK's largest and most forward-thinking jazz festivals. Emily is also Chair of the Jazz Promotion Network for the UK & Ireland, and a trustee of Engines Orchestra. She is interested in presenting jazz and improvised music outside of the concert hall/club setting and is completing a fellowship with Oxford Contemporary Music's Boom scheme 2017/18 to further develop that work. She can occasionally be found behind the decks, the drums or hiding at the back of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra playing percussion.

“I love working closely with artists to produce new shows and commission new music, and my favourite aspect of my work is the huge amount of new music I get to devour every day, which is what I try to bring to my writing here. As Chair of the Jazz Promotion Network, I am really passionate about strengthening our jazz scene, improving the funding and promoting infrastructure, and developing our artists.”