Alexandra Ridout

Jazz Trumpeter Alexandra Ridout is from the UK and is currently based in New York City.

At the age of 17 Alexandra was crowned the winner of the BBC Young Musician Jazz Award 2016, which is the most prominent jazz competition in the UK, widely promoted by the BBC on National TV and Radio. She was catapulted into a very busy and extremely high profile jazz career and has been wowing audiences ever since.

Since her win, Alexandra has gone on to receive an array of awards and accolades inducing the British Jazz Awards ‘Rising Star’ 2018, in 2019 being named one of ‘London’s Most Influential People under 25’ by the Evening Standard, she was a Parliamentary Jazz Awards nominee 2020, a winner of the highly competitive American Laurie Frink Career Grant for trumpet 2022. She received the ‘Best Soloist’ award at the ‘Keep an Eye International Jazz Award’ 2023 and most recently was awarded 2nd Place at the most prestigious jazz trumpet competition in the world – the Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition 2023.

Alexandra’s career took off in the UK and beyond from 2016 onwards. She was (and continues to be) in great demand as a bandleader, composer, musical collaborator and featured artist, performing in 100’s of shows in all of the UK’s top venues, including 2 appearances in the 2018 BBC Proms, which included her performance as a featured guest for ‘40 years of The BBC Young Musician’. During this time Alexandra also had her music played on multiple BBC Radio 3 show’s, Jazz FM and across Europe and the USA.

During these years, in addition to bandleading her own ensembles, Alexandra was highly sought after by the UK’s top jazz musicians such as British luminary Clark Tracey, being a member of his Hexad, Quintet and Big Band for many years, Clare Teal’s mini Big Band, Guy Barkers Big Band (including their acclaimed Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall), Yazz Ahmed’s Polyhymnia, touring Europe with Matthew Herberts Brexit Big Band and countless others.

Since her move to the USA in 2021, Alexandra’s exquisite playing has been sought out by many revered international musicians, including European touring with world renowned Renee Rosnes’ Blue Note signed band ‘Artemis’, Orlando Le Fleming’s ‘Romantic Funk’ (including a London residency with the band), prestigious New York venues and USA performances as a member of award winning saxophonist Dayna Stephen’s ‘Custom Deluxe’, New York shows with world famous jazz drummer Jochen Rueckert’s quartet, regularly performing at the famous Birdland Jazz Club and many other USA and worldwide venues as a member of Arturo O’Farrill’s Grammy winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Alexandra was also twice invited to be a featured artist with Pablo Held as part of his ‘Pablo Held meets…’ series in Germany. She is also performing and recording regularly with ECM artist Kit Downes and multi award winning saxophonist Alex Hitchcock.

Alexandra has performed with her new sextet at America’s premier performance venue, The Jazz Gallery in NYC and is a busy performer in NYC and further afield with her own trio, quartet and quintet. As an in demand member of many other bands Alexandra can be seen performing in NYC venues such as The Jazz Gallery, Dizzy’s Jazz Club, Bar Lunatico, Nublu, The Owl, the Kennedy Centre in DC and many more.

She was a showcased performer/composer in the International Festival of New Trumpet Music with her trio in New York in 2022, curated by world famous jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas.

Alexandra will be a highlighted composer and performer on International Jazz Day (April 30th), bringing her quintet to Columbus, Ohio as the main artist of the 2024 Columbus International Jazz Series in conjunction with Jazz Appreciation month presented by leading jazz organisation ‘A Tribe for Jazz’.

She will also be taking her quartet to Minas Gerais, Brazil in 2025 to perform in the new International Contemporary Music Festival at Instituto Inhotim.

Alexandra features on many albums, including major rock band Snow Patrol’s ‘Wildness (Deluxe)’ album, Paul Booth’s ‘44’ “it’s the young in years but rich in delivery Alexandra Ridout who steals the show” (Jazzwise), Zoe Rahman’s ‘Colour of Sound’, Alex Hitchcock’s ‘Dream Band:Live in London’, Clark Tracey’s Quintet ‘No Doubt’, Ok Aurora’s ‘Only in Autumn’, Tom Ridout’s ‘No Excuses’, Patchwork Orchestra’s ‘The Light that shines’, Yazz Ahmed’s ‘Polyhymnia’, The Delegates ‘Home from Home’, and yet to be released the USA Jackson Potter Quintet album alongside highly acclaimed saxophonist Jaleel Shaw. She released her debut EP ‘Remote Duets’ in 2020.