Skip to main content

TL student receives 2020 Peter Whittingham Jazz Award

Fri 11 December 2020

Saxophonist Xhosa Cole awarded £5000 to support creative output

Help Musicians has announced the recipients of the 2020 Peter Whittingham Jazz Award and this includes Fourth-year Trinity Laban jazz student Xhosa Cole.

For three decades, the award has provided financial support for emerging jazz artists.

Xhosa will receive £5000 to support his creative output and will also benefit from business advice sessions and health resources. This is a welcome boost of support during this challenging year for the performing arts.

Xhosa, who was named BBC Young Jazz Musician 2018 and won Breakthrough Act of the Year at the 2020 Jazz FM Awards, plans to compose six original duets for saxophone and various percussion instruments from across the globe. He is creating alongside six master percussionists from different areas of the African diaspora to produce a suite of original works that each highlight a particular rhythmic influence, angle or dynamic of jazz music.

We recently filmed Xhosa’s improvisation duet with alum Tom Varral for our BA Music Performance & Industry programme.

Find out more about studying jazz at Trinity Laban.