Violinist

Jessie May Smart

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(5.0)Read all 8 reviews
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About Jessie

Dynamic and vastly experienced violinist & electric violinist Jessie performs in London, across the UK, and around the globe.
Violinist
Ascot
Public liability insurance of £10 million

Classically trained at Trinity College of Music, The University of Nottingham Music dept, and The Royal College of Music Jr Dept., Jessie has been playing the violin since the age of four. She is a versatile musician, playing chamber music to jazz, musical theatre to commercial. Jessie is frequently complimented on her rich tone, sweet melodic solos, and ability to adapt her playing and improvisational style to music of very different genres. The focus on musical theatre in recent years has seen Jessie performing in numerous shows including depping on Wicked in the West End and Arion Production's Dessa Rose at Trafalgar Studios. Touring has included Jessie playing with Sophie Ellis Bextor, Katie Melua, Elbow and more. Other commercial work includes performing on television shows such as X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Royal Variety Performance. Jessie is privileged to have been invited to be the new violinist in the legendary band Steeleye Span and has been playing with them since early 2014. She has toured the UK, Europe, USA, Canada with them. As electric violinist Jessie plays all over the world; solo, with DJs and with other musicians. Her improvisation skills stretch folk to deep house and everything in between.

Jessie
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5 out of 5
1 verified review
Satisfaction
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5.0
Professionalism
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5.0
Communication
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5.0
Punctuality
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5.0

Jessie's Reviews

From Encore customers:

RM
Ros M
7 months ago
Full starFull starFull starFull starFull star
5 out of 5

Brilliant

From other customers:

TG
The G
9 years ago

A remarkable violin workout from Jessie May Smart

TY
The P
9 years ago

One of the biggest stars of the show was Jessie May Smart whose virtuosic violin peformance provided an irresistible counterpoint to every melody

Read all 7 reviews
Encore badges
5 gigs
Experienced: 5 bookings through Encore
Saved the day!
Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice
8th Anniversary
This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years

Jessie's Prices

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Customer questions

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

I have performed at some incredible venues across the world, such as the Roundhouse, The Royal Festival Hall. I have also performed at Glastonbury Festival, and festivals across Europe and Canada.

Do you have different line-up options?

Yes! I also run string quartet Vesper, so can always add other string players if you'd like. Or DJs, singers etc etc pending their availability. Just get in touch and we can discuss.

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

I always try to be flexible as possible to help ensure your event runs smoothly, so if timings change slightly in the run up to the event just let me know.

How much time do you need to set up?

I like to arrive 60 minutes prior to starting playing so that it's all up and ready in advance, but setup should take around 20 minutes.

Can I pick the pieces you play from the set list?

Absolutely! For ceremonies I recommend you choose whatever you like, even if I don't have it in my repertoire. For reception, evening, DJ, dinner sets etc, most people request a couple of songs and describe the vibe/genre they'd like, and I tailor the sets around these.

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

I can provide PA for up to 300 guests (for dinner/ receptions etc) and all the equipment that I need. For shows, DJ live sets at clubs etc, it's often best to use the venue or client's PA, so in that case let's discuss.

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

Yes, I will learn a first dance, or ceremony pieces, or a couple of special requests, as long as I have these a couple of weeks in advance to learn.
Musicianship
Genres:
Classical, Baroque, Classical crossover, Contemporary classical, Early music, Film / TV music, Musical theatre, Opera, Electronic, Ambient, House, Ibiza club, Folk rock, Folk, Traditional English folk, Traditional Irish folk, Jazz, Blues, Gypsy jazz, Easy listening, Light music, Pop, Acoustic, Ambient pop, Funk, Funk rock, Motown, Soul, Vintage, Rock, Alternative rock, Classic rock, Britpop, Indie, Pop rock, Progressive rock, World music, Klezmer, Latin, Tango, Salsa, Balkan, Breakbeat, Deep house, Drum 'n' Bass, Dubstep, EDM, Electro-Swing, Electronica, Garage, IDM, Industrial, Jungle, Techno, Triphop, Cabaret, Dixieland, Jazz fusion, Latin jazz, Modern jazz, Postmodern jukebox jazz, Ragtime, Swing, Barbershop, Gospel, Americana, Covers, Disco, Hip Hop, Karaoke, R&B, Top 40, Tribute, Avant garde, Experimental, Marching, Noise music, Originals, Glam rock, Hard rock, Hardcore, Heavy metal, Post rock, Power rock, Punk rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Synth rock, African music, Afrobeat, Arabic, Argentinian, Armenian, Asian music, Australian music, Bavarian oompah, Bollywood, Bossa nova, Brazilian music, Calypso, Caribbean music, Choro, Cuban music, Cumbia, Flamenco, French music, German music, Greek music, Hawaiian music, Indian music, Italian music, Jewish music, Mariachi, Merengue, Polish music, Polka, Polynesian music, Reggae, Russian music, Samba, Scottish music, Ska, Skiffle, Spanish music, 1920s era music, 1930s era music, 1940s era music, 1950s era music, 1960s era music, 1970s era music, 1980s era music, 1990s era music, Bluegrass, Ceilidh, Country, Irish rock, Rockabilly, Traditional Scottish folk, Welsh folk, Christmas, Contemporary Christian, Military, Traditional church music, Fanfare, Medieval music, Renaissance
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Instruments:
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Event types:
Private event, Wedding, Wedding proposal, Church service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Theatre / Show, Cruise, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve
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Other skills:
Arranger, Audio engineer, Composer, Orchestrator, Producer, Songwriter, Transcription, Fluent improviser, Fluent sight-reader, Instrumental teaching, Theory teaching
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