biography

Born in Scotland in 1981, Euan Stevenson studied classical piano with Simon Coverdale before moving to Birmingham to study jazz piano with Liam Noble at the Birmingham Conservatoire. He went on to specialise in composition and performance at the University of Birmingham where his composition tutor was the composer Vic Hoyland. Stevenson set up a jazz orchestra at the University and directed and composed for the ensemble for four years, receiving enthusiastic reviews for premieres of large-scale works at the CBSO Centre and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland premiered his Big Band arrangement of Bud Powell’s Hallucinations in Oran Mor, and The Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra commissioned him to write a piece to celebrate FYJO’s thirtieth birthday, receiving a premier in The Queens Hall in Edinburgh and on BBC Radio Scotland.

Now based in Glasgow, Euan is much in demand as a sideman for instrumentalists throughout Scotland. Some of Scotland’s finest jazz musicians Euan has recently worked with include BBC Big Band drummer Tom Gordon, Konrad Wiszniewski, Jim Mullen, Brian Molley, Andy Bain, Aidan O’Donnell, Colin Steele, and Adam Sorenson. Euan’s reputation as a skillful and sensitive accompanist is growing steadily and singers like BBC Radio Scotland Jazz House presenter Stephen Duffy and the highly acclaimed Todd Gordon have been amongst the many singers who have used Euan as an accompanist of late. South of the border Euan works with highly talented young jazz musicians Percy Purseglove, Mike Fletcher, Mike Addlington and Simon Walker in a Hardbop sextet, playing the music of Art Blakey, Woody Shaw and Horace Silver. On the free improv scene Euan has worked with improvising giants John Edwards and Mark Sanders.

As a leader, Euan fronts The Euan Stevenson trio with Andy Sharkey on bass and Jim Drummond on drums. The trio recently appeared live on Radio Scotland playing Oscar Peterson arrangements in tribute to the late pianist who died at Christmas last year. The trio, which models itself on the swinging fifties trios of Peterson, Jamal, Evans and Garner also accompanies vocalist Joni Keen, and appear on her latest album “Fragile”. The release of Euan’s first solo album “Portraits Preludes and Landscapes” in December last year displays Euan’s ability to improvise in a classical style spontaneous compositions that reveal influences as diverse as Bach, Monk, Stravinsky, Jarrett and Glass. The bulk of Euan’s compositional work is currently carried out in a home studio with saxophonist/composer Theo Forrest, writing commercial pop, dance and film music. An album is underway and the release date is set to be July 2009. As an educator, Euan teaches piano at Dollar Academy, has numerous private pupils, and he works regularly with The Fife Youth Jazz Orchestra, The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and annually on The Fife Summer jazz Course and The National Youth Jazz Summer School in England.

“…a talented and charismatic player and composer….his playing is full of maturity…”
Liam Noble – Pianist & Composer

“…(Stevenson’s composition) “Nineteen eighty-four” slithered slowly before opening up into a rousing solo from pianist Euan Stevenson…”
The Scotsman

[last updated: 115 days ago]