B:Music’s popular Summer School will return to Symphony Hall from 10–14 August, welcoming a record 72 young musicians for a week of creative music-making and performance.
Open to instrumentalists and vocalists aged 11 to 19, the programme explores jazz and its influence on genres including R&B, soul, funk and hip hop. Participants will develop skills in improvisation, composition and ensemble performance before showcasing their work in informal concerts at the end of the week.
Photo Credit:-Ibi Keita
This year’s Summer School has expanded through support from the Helen Walsh Talent Development Fund, allowing more bursaries than ever before. Eligible participants can also receive free lunches and travel, ensuring financial circumstances do not prevent young people from taking part.
Photo Credit:-Ibi Keita
Returning as Creative Director is bassist and composer Shiv Matwala, who first attended the Summer School as a 15-year-old in 2012 before progressing to tutor and building a successful professional career.
Returning as Creative Director is bassist, composer and educator Shiv Matwala, whose journey reflects the programme’s long-term impact. Having first attended the Summer School as a 15-year-old in 2012, he progressed from participant to tutor before establishing a successful professional career. Reflecting on his experience and this year’s programme, he said:
“When I first came to Summer School as a teenager, I wasn’t even a jazz musician. It introduced me to a whole new musical world and gave me the opportunity to learn from working professionals in a way that simply wasn’t available anywhere else.
What makes this programme so special is the community it creates. Young people from different backgrounds come together, make music together and often form friendships that last for years. Some of my closest friends today are people I met through Summer School.”
Image of Shiv Matwala Photo Credit:-Ibi Keita
The 2026 theme, Self-Expression, encourages participants to explore their musical identity while learning about jazz’s continuing influence on contemporary music. The week will conclude with showcase performances for family and friends at Symphony Hall.
More information is available at https://bmusic.co.uk/make-music/children-young-people/summer-school.
