Rob Updegraff studied Jazz and Classical Guitar and Composition at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Fluent in many genres including pop, rock jazz, country, blues, soul, ambient and African music, he is one of the U.K.’s busiest guitarists.
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Some of the artists performed /recorded with include:
Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Laura Mvula, Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters), Beth Rowley,
Julia Biel, Andrew Roachford , Eska , Jeb loy Nichols, Joshua Hedley, Earl Thomas , Ags Connolly, Gwyneth Herbert, Tom Baxter, The Ronnie Scott's All Stars, Sara Mitra, Eliane, Natalie Williams, Miki Imai, Frances Rufelle, Odyssey, Acantha Lang, Rie Fu, Chartwell Ditiro, Mosi Conde, Nostalgia 77 amongst many others......
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Rob has also played with some of Britain's top Jazz musicians including Stan Sulzmann, Jean Toussaint, Ivo Neame, Kit Downes amongst others.
Live performances include the following venues and festivals:
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The Royal Albert Hall, London - Montreal Jazz Festival, Canada - Kyotographie Festival, Kyoto Japan - Birmingham Symphony Hall - Philharmonic Hall, Paris France - Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, London - Edinburgh Festival, Scotland - Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff - Pori Jazz Festival, Finland - Colston Hall, Bristol - Wolfi Jazz Festival, Strasbourg - Cheltenham Jazz Festival - Jazz Café, London - Jazzfest Bonn, Germany - KKLConcert Hall Lucerne, Switzerland - JazzOpen Festival, Stuttgart Germany - The Bataclan, Paris - Cadogan Hall, London - Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
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Recording sessions include work at:
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Abbey Road Studios, London - Air Studios, London - Real World Studios, Somerset - Studio Ferber, Paris - Strongrooms, London - Konk Studios, London - Metropolis Studios, London
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Live Television and Radio Studio Performances UK and abroad:
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BBC 2 Jools Holland - BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale Sessions - BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends BBC 6 Music Cerys Matthews - BBC Radio London Robert Elms - XFM - London Live TF1 (France) - Radio Fip (France) - Arte (France) - Deutschlandradio Kultur (Germany)
Canal+ (France)
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Theatre Work
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Performed in the following productions at Shakespeare’s Globe, London:
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Henry IV part II: Guitar, Percussion
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Twelfth Night: Electric Guitar, Percussion
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The Little Match Girl: Classical Guitar, Oud, Tenor Banjo, Percussion
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Co-composed music for production of 'Hell' by Steven Berkoff