Emma Rawicz’s INKYRA at Leeds Jazz Festival

JazzLeeds present Emma Rawicz’z INKYRA as part of this year’s Leeds Jazz Festival 2026.

INKYRA is a thrilling new band led by rising tenor sax star Emma Rawicz. Stylistically, Emma has drawn on her wide range of musical influences and inspirations from genres as varied as rock, fusion, singer-songwriter music all blended with her stylistic home of modern jazz.

The ensemble takes the form of a sextet, featuring UK heavyweights Gareth Lockrane, David Preston, Scottie Thompson, Kevin Glasgow and Jamie Murray. The band already has palpable chemistry with just a handful of shows under its belt, and each musician contributes a huge amount of their own personality and spirit, not least because the music was written specifically for these musicians.

Emma Rawicz’s influences come from many sources, including some that you wouldn’t expect.

“Some of the inspiration for the music comes from Joni Mitchell. That sounds far-fetched at first, because the pieces don’t sound like singer/songwriter music. Nevertheless, I immersed myself in her music before composing the programme. I’m fascinated by the way she structures melodies, how she uses harmony, special tunings and unusual chords that you don’t hear in jazz. This influenced me on the piano and, in turn, shaped my work as a composer. It gave rise to my own identity. I also drew inspiration from the lyrics, which reappear in the titles of the pieces.”

One of the true rising stars on the European scene, performing with style and grace with INKYRA.

A JazzLeeds promotion with the support of Howard Assembly Room at Opera North

Tickets are also available via the Howard Assembly Room website https://www.operanorth.co.uk/whats-on/emma-rawicz-inkyra/

https://emmarawicz.bandcamp.com/album/inkyra