Catriona Bourne
Jazz Festival
- Main Information
Multi-instrumentalist Catriona Bourne marries technical virtuosity with unique sound-worlds to create exciting programmes, often featuring her own original music. Her performances on flute and harp blend elements from classical, folk and jazz traditions, carefully curated around themes of nature and mythology.
As a flautist, Catriona is passionate about new and improvised music, and has performed contemporary concertos with orchestra including the Ibert Flute Concerto and Liebermann Flute Concerto No 1. She has commissioned works from Asha Parkinson and Nathen Durasamy, performed new works by female composers at Kings Place with contemporary septet Cirque de Pierrot, and explored free improvisation with the London Ambient Orchestra at events including Wilderness Festival. Catriona has experimented with flute and live electronics, recently performing a solo set of her own arrangements and improvisations in the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall. She has also won numerous awards and competitions, including the Carne Trust Chamber Music Competition in a trio with percussionist Ethan Windle and pianist Raymond Yiu.
In October 2024, Catriona released a debut album of her own compositions, Triquetra, funded by the Youth Music NextGen Fund. Catriona predominantly plays electroacoustic harp on the record, with her jazz quartet featuring Francis Tulip (guitar), James Owston (bass) and Joe Bainbridge (drums). The album is an impulsive dive into experimental jazz-infused folk that draws off Catriona’s Scottish heritage, exploring nostalgia for a lost past.
The album has been acclaimed by critics, described as ‘haunting Gaelic-blues’ (Morning Star) and taking ‘a genuinely sublime and wholly unique perspective’ (Blue-in-Green: Radio). It has been played on national radio, including Alyn Shipton’s Radio 3 show Jazz Record Requests and Soweto Kinch’s Radio 3 show Round Midnight, as well as local radio including Lynette Fay’s Folk Club on BBC Radio Ulster. Nominated for Indie Boulevard Magazine's 2024 Album of the Year, it was named on jazz blog Bebop Spoken Here both in Lance Liddle’s Top 10 Instrumental Albums of 2024 and Colin Muirhead’s 8 Top Albums of 2024 by Live Act.
The sense of nostalgia prevalent throughout the album is also encapsulated in Catriona’s enjoyment of performing on historical flutes, as well as singing as a choral scholar in various ancient churches around London.
Catriona also works as a session musician in collaboration with a range of artists including Léa Mondo, Tsz Ching Kylie and Grace Angelica, performing at venues including Ninety One Living Room, Crazy Coqs and the Jazz Cafe.
Sunday Pass!
Get a Sunday Pass for Northumberland Jazz Festival and get entry to Catriona Bourne and Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone, Nikki Iles, Mike Walker & Steve Watts on Sunday for £35. Discount applied in basket when adding tickets for all events.
Weekend Pass!
Get a Weekend Pass for Northumberland Jazz Festival and get entry to Saturday's Dean Stockdale Quartet + Mingus Sings and Catriona Bourne and Joe Steels Group + Norma Winstone, Nikki Iles, Mike Walker & Steve Watts on Sunday for £60. Discount applied in basket when adding tickets for all events.
