Whether you are looking for last minute performance availability or recording cello parts for a song or soundtrack then you can be assured that your booking will be met with utmost professionalism.
Emily Burridge is a virtuoso cellist, composer, arranger and performer with thirty years experience both as a soloist and in ensembles and as a recording artist in studios as a session musician.

Having received a specialist education with music scholarships to study classical repertoire her skill of deftly improvising has expanded her career beyond the usual associations of the cello as a classical instrument and her composing skills while generally featuring the cello are also realised live through the adaptation of looping pedals. These enable her both in a solo and collaborative context to multi track harmonies and rhythms and create both dynamic and ambient music which fluidly crosses genres . She has six CD productions available on the digital platforms as well as a series of single releases.Her music is also used for film and documentaries.

Reviews

“Emily Burridge lifts the subtle art of cello to new dimensions with her inspirational, moody, soulful and joyous musicianship.”

Private House concert November 2023 "I haven't the words to express how utterly precious an experience it was that Emily gave us. A very very special surprise private concert for my wife's 70th birthday. Just wonderful!"

Her music was described in The Musician as "fascinating and unique" and in Europe - European Progressive Music "music that is deep, thoughtful and also lifts your spirits"

"spellbinding innovative performance" - Nexus

“dare to venture into a realm of beautiful sometimes haunting cello playing.."

She can be booked both as a soloist and in a collaborative duo Incandescendo; cello with Latin guitar and percussion 'Dolce tunes & Latin Grooves'

PERFORMANCE ENQUIRIES SOLO CELLO

Emily as a soloist

Mellow cello & looping electric for very special occasions, private house concerts, gallery openings, festivals, & clubs.

Emily has developed an exciting and innovative program of new music for the cello utilising sampling and looping technology which combines with more familiar classical repertoire & cello covers of popular songs.

Emily specialises in performing the Bach Suites and for receptions and special events combines dances movements from the Bach suites with her own compositions utilising the looping technology. which creates a great ambience for receptions and concert events.

Emily’s choice of music includes an exstensive choice of classical repertoire and also features commissions; her popular arrangement for seven cellos of Pachebel's "Canon in D" .(on general release), and also in 2023 her original cello arrangement to accompany orchestral backing track of Puccini’s operatic aria “Che Gelida Manina”

Cello covers of popular songs which she has produced as commissions for special events:

Queen “I want to break free”, Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars” (on general release) ,The National “I need my girl”, Magnetic Fields “The Book of Love”. Cello arrangements which are commissions to accompany solo piano performances include; “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “River flows in you” by Yiruma.

RECORDING ENQUIRIES With many years of experience as a session musician recording and being recorded Emily now has a professional recording studio at home where she can record her cello and either read from a composed part or write an arrangement and records cello for international artists for sountracks or songs.

She approaches her employment with utmost professionalism and will bring to a special occasion, wedding or corporate function style and charm with her original program of both classical and classical crossover ambient music.

She has her own PA for smaller venues and can set up within half an hour.

FURTHER PROGRAM INFORMATION solo & collaborative

Example of program for Private house concert November 2023: On this occasion I was playing my acoustic cello and the client’s requested program included: 1st movement Elgar cello concerto (solo)!, Prelude, Allemande and Sarabande of G major suite by JS Bach, “Nanna” by Manuel de Falla , “The Swan” by Saint Saens, “Prayer for the rivers” transcribed from my recorded improvisation in the 2016 crypt performance Chartres cathedral, “Salutation & Out of the Blue” (from my 2010 release double album production) For encores: Prelude D minor suite by JS Bach & an impromptu improvisation as requested giving me free license to surf on the amazing acoustic of the room with the house designed by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens.

"Bach & Music from Out of the Blue"
In her solo performance production “Bach & Music from Out of the Blue” Emily combines her own compositions featured on her release “Out of the Blue” and various new compositions with selected suites for unaccompanied cello by JS Bach.

Emily has performed the Bach suites in many different concert environments and for special occasions including during weddings such as the signing of the register or awaiting the bride....anniversaries, gallery openings, funerals to name but a few social scenarios at which she has performing experience. She also tours with this production integrating projected images as part of the spectacle. In the Christmas period she gives concerts of Bach by candlelight.

“Mellow Cello Music”
The cello is an incredible resource of sounds and tonal diversification allowing for rich modes of expression.

She delights in performing and recognises the art of performance as an important role of being a musician. She entertains audiences alike in concert halls, churches, museums, intimate venues of UK rural touring, arboretums and parks, festivals and the ever increasingly popular private house concerts.

In some of her photos you can see her pictured with both her electric cello & her acoustic cello. The electric cello sounds like a cello but the advantage is it's use in crowded receptions and it's ease in amplification and for travelling further afield (ie; when requiring a flight) as it goes in the hold of a plane and doesn't require a seat!

As a professional musician Emily is actively involved in many aspects of the music business both as a performer as soloist, ensembles and bands and as a top level recording artist. Over the years she has contributed to numerous albums; George Michael, The Stereophonics, Jools Holland, to name but a few. As well as working with producers in studios with the advent of online recording sessions in her own studio she now writes arrangements and records cello parts for international songwriters and recording artists.

Testimony - Cello arrangement and online session for”Butterflies” from Jordan Grant debut EP

“I have recently had the pleasure of working with Ms. Burridge on the opening track of my EP. I’d decided I wanted a cello in my song, but knew no cellists. I took to Google and what started as choosing the first name on the list, turned out to be a match made in Heaven. Emily cares. She genuinely cares about music and about what she does. She asked me loads of questions about the nature of the song, the lyrics, the motivation for writing it and all of that poured into her crafting of the cello line; a line that has brought me to tears on numerous occasions. I cannot praise nor thank Emily enough.”

Collaborative productions for special occasions
INCANDESCENDO - Latin grooves & dolce tunes. A dynamic and heady mix of Latin percusssion & guitar with multi Emily using looping pedals to track both harmonies on the cello and record her colleague Felix Gibbons, a master of Samba and Latin percussion. INCANDESCENDO “A Musical Kaleidoscope of World, Classical, Folk and free Jazz influences”
"Incandescendo blend hypnotic and intriguing cello played to concert standard with highly imaginative stellar Latin percussion and guitar"

In performance Emily's use of modern sampling technology enables them to expand their compositions and create exciting multi tracked pieces, spinning a web of intricate harmonies and rhythms, highlighted by some dazzling displays of improvisation.

The Incandescendo concert repertoire includes their arrangements of Brazilian classical and popular music, samba and choros and an array of new works for ‘cello and percussion and guitar.

Felix Gibbons is an internationally acclaimed percussionist specialising in the multiplicity of instruments that characterise the distinct rhythms of Brazil and Latin- America. These dance around and enhance the melodic sounds of Emily's cello playing.

‘Duos for pedal steel guitar & cello’
Emily has an eighteen year long working relationship with the legendary Pedal Steel guitarist BJ Cole. Together they have created an eclectic program of music including their arrangements of music by the french romantic composers including Erik Satie,Debussy, Ravel and also some of their own original compositions.

Working as a cellist with bands As well as recording sessions she is also invited to perform and record within various bands and ensembles.

She currently regularly performs in the Philip Clemo 'Dream maps' prog rock band which since its launch in Kings Place, London with special guest Arve Henriksen has taken to the international arena. She is featured ‘cellist on 'Dream Maps' album and credited with her input in the composition of the track ‘Shadow Seas’

Early Days & CV information
Born in the UK Emily commenced playing the cello at the age of five.When she entered secondary school she was awarded a scholarship to the specialist music school Wells Cathedral School and then furthered her cello and music studies through a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London where she was further awarded the Helen Just concerto prize.

She considers herself extremely fortunate to have learnt with some of the best 'cello teachers; Raphael Wallfisch, Amaryllis Fleming and on leaving the RCM she furthered her studies with William Pleeth.

From a young age she displayed a talent for improvising as well as reading the notes and her ability to improvise has expanded her career as a professional 'cellist.

Over the years she has carved a niche and developed a reputation for working outside of the usual association with the ‘cello as a classical instrument, she benefited greatly from an intensive and solid grounding in the classical repertoire and her career has also included working within classical orchestras; The London Bach orchestra & The London Mozart Players, chamber ensembles and giving solo classical recitals performing in all the main London concert halls.

With twenty-five years experience in studios either reading the notes or free improvisation Emily is at home within the recording environment as she is on stage performing. She is an expert string arranger work alongside recording artists and producers and with her improvisation skills on the cello and perfect pitch she can identify chordal structures and quickly create parts accompanying song writers. Her professional home studio facility enables her to make high quality recordings of the 'cello and this facilitates international online recording sessions. Details of which are on her web site

Hear Emily play on a wide variety of songs and tracks by various artists including: George Michael, Jools Holland, Roger Daltry, , Debbie Bonham, Gianna Nannini, Psychedelic Furs, Chrissy Hynde, and she is a core member of the Philip Clemo @Dream Maps' band

As a composer and producer she has produced six of her own CDs and a series of single releases.

"Sisters in the Forest" premiered at COP 26 Glasgow where she was selected to perform as a soloist and also featured her production "Into the Amazon"
Earth Songs
“In the hands of Emily Burridge, this instrument becomes a voice for her personal experiences, her emotions, and her thoughts as she amalgamates a variety of rhythms, sounds, backing performers, and instruments.”

Footsteps in the Sand
– was produced after having been awarded a cultural grant which enabled Emily to research folk music in the Northeast of Brazil and employ Brazilian musicians .

Bridge between Worlds
– an orchestral work that features the Xavante indian of Brazil singing traditional songs.

Out of the Blue & Into the Amazon
– double CD production “dare to venture into a realm of beautiful sometimes haunting cello playing…”

2018 release 'Compositions & Meditations' live concert recording in Chartres cathedral France.

‘Emily has developed an original program of new music by operating looping pedals with her feet to record harmonies and create multi-tracked cello compositions live. The result is a wonderfully mellow, atmospheric resonance……The extraordinary spiritual presence of Chartres is exquisitely captured here through Emily's cello.’ Review by Richard Giles NEXUS

“In her compositions, Emily is capable of gathering, in a truly spontaneous way, elements derived from her Classical upbringing, together with those coming from the ethnic musics she has lived with”

Extracts of music from all her CD productions is used for film and documentary sound tracks and she also has a catalogue of library music with West 1 music ,KPM and collaborative album "Water & Stone" with Lift Music.

The productive collaboration with pianist & composer Guy Jackson has resulted in the production of the CD “Sombre” (on general release)

Song Writing & string arranging for pop songs

In 2011 she started songwriting in collaboration with the lyricist Scott English and in commencing the melody she has returned to the tradition of manuscript paper and pencil and composes at the piano. She then produces the demo avoiding synthesizers and recording various musicians in the traditional band line up: guitars, keyboards (piano) drums & bass with some string arrangements.

“Living next door to love” has 50% publishing through Scott English’s affiliation with Warner Chapell Music