Written by It should be clear for anyone close to the UK scene that the album did a lot to raise Emma’s profile on the scene, it received an unusual level of attention, circulating widely in the press and prompting invitations to play with leading UK artists. She recalls, “It’s rare, really, for a self-produced debut to get picked up so quickly, but the gigs I was able to do and the coverage that came along with them really changed things.” The wave of interest ultimately led to her signing with ACT Records. On the significance of that step, Emma describes, “Signing with ACT was a really surprising and humbling moment. They reached out after seeing what was happening around the album—reviews, the performances. To have that kind of support from a label I had admired for so long, it’s still sinking in. It feels like the right place to develop as an artist, having come from putting out my own debut so recently—sometimes it’s hard to believe how fast it all moved.”
Photo by Monika S Jakubowska
Her first album with ACT, titled Chroma, marked the next pivotal step in her career and a breakthrough into the wider European jazz scene. Emma had already recorded Chroma when she signed with ACT, allowing her full artistic freedom. “They heard it and said, ‘Great, we’ll have that,’” Emma recalls. “It was important for me that the album stayed exactly as I had envisioned it, without changing anything to fit a label’s expectations. It felt very personal and authentic.”
The release of Chroma opened doors to new audiences across Europe. “It definitely introduced me to a lot of people who didn’t know me before,” Emma says, reflecting on the widening scope of her career. “That album led to long-term relationships with venues and festivals in different countries. It’s been rewarding to see how people have continued to follow my work, especially as I’ve gone on to release new projects since then.”
Following the release of Chroma, Emma expanded her reach across Europe with a number of key live performances that further solidified her expanding international reputation. Notably, she appeared at the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Ludwigshafen, Germany, on October 22, 2024, showcasing the album live. Earlier in April 2024, Emma’s quartet recorded a concert session at the Transition Festival in Utrecht, which was broadcast by Dutch public radio, bringing her music to a wider European audience. These appearences, among others, not only reinforced her existing audience but also opened doors to new venues and festivals, contributing to the steady growth of her international profile.
Emma considers the ACT signing a meaningful milestone. “It was a real moment to realize that the music I created independently had a life beyond that. ACT has been a fantastic platform to grow from, and I feel privileged that those early listeners are still alongside me as my music continues to evolve.”
Speaking to evolution, Emma’s second album with ACT, Big Visit, released earlier this year, marked a distinct departure from her previous work. This duo album with pianist Gwilym Simcock grew out of a musical relationship forged through shared history and mutual respect. “Gwilym’s been a hero of mine for a long time,” Emma explains, recounting how their paths crossed during a Royal Academy of Music commission for Simcock’s 40th birthday. “From the moment we played together, the connection was instant and easy.”
Their first gig was a small, understated club date as part of the London Jazz Festival, a low-pressure setting where the idea to record gradually took shape. ACT encouraged them to capture the collaboration, prompting discussions about the album’s concept and approach. “We rehearsed whenever we could—sometimes just half an hour, an hour—and that really helped grow our musical partnership.” Emma adds, “It was a joyful experience, and Gwilym was incredibly generous with his time and ideas.”
Musically, Big Visit challenged Emma to explore a new compositional and instrumental approach, including more soprano saxophone than before. “It opened doors in how I wanted to play and write,” she says. The album reflects a balance of calm introspection and adventurous energy—qualities both musicians navigate with fluency—a promising sign of their evolving collaboration.
Emma Rawicz & Gwilym Simcock | Photo courtesy of ACT Records
Not one to rest on her laurels, Emma has a new album with ACT, titled Inkyra, poised for release on October 31, 2025. It represents a significant moment in her artistic journey, emerging from a deep connection with the musicians she chose to work with. Emma explains that the music grew organically during a residency at a London nightclub in 2022, where she played seven or eight gigs with a band of inspiring collaborators. “We developed a real connection to each other over those gigs,” she says. “It became very easy to play together and explore all kinds of far-reaching improvisational places.”
The development of the music was deliberate and immersive, with Emma bringing new compositions to nearly every performance. “Everyone committed so much to it, and it really felt like we were creating something special,” she reflects. The album was essentially a natural extension of this shared creative energy that took shape over nearly three years of playing, rehearsing, and evolving as a group.
Stylistically, Inkyra pushes boundaries, blending complex writing and varied influences. Emma notes, “The writing could be as complex or as simple as I wanted. There was no limitation. It felt like a blank canvas.” With a lineup that includes Gareth Lockrane, David Preston, Scottie Thompson, Kevin Glasgow, and Jamie Murray, the album showcases Emma’s evolving voice as a saxophonist and composer, ready to embrace new directions and possibilities.
Emma has made her mark not only as a skilled saxophonist but also as an increasingly prominent composer and arranger within the European big band scene. She was a guest soloist with the SWR Big Band during their “Bird Lives” project, part of a concert at Berlin Philharmonie. “That was an amazing opportunity,” Emma says. “I was a soloist, but my ongoing work writing and arranging for big bands meant it was extra special and I really enjoyed the whole experience.”
Her compositional work extends to leading her own UK jazz orchestra and collaborations with groups like Helsinki UMO Jazz Orchestra, where she has also conducted. “Conducting adds a new dimension. It’s both inspiring and rewarding,” Emma explains. Next year, she has a project planned with the WDR Big Band, which she calls an important part of her music career.
Emma manages writing, arranging, conducting, and performing—all of which she finds challenging but fulfilling. Producing a full big band album is a big task, but it’s something she hopes to accomplish in the coming years. “The WDR project is opening doors. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Emma’s relationship with big bands started early and has grown steadily. Inspired by greats like Kenny Wheeler, she took the step to write her first big band charts and learned conducting from scratch at the Royal Academy of Music. “I had to learn how to beat 5/4, it was new to me,” she recalls. “Standing in front of 19 musicians playing my music was a rush.”
Emma Rawicz Orchestra, live at Ronnie Scotts, London | Photo by Monika S Jakubowska
Conducting means more than just leading; it means hearing your music come to life. Emma describes it as “like hearing a studio recording, but live.” Her big band work with the UK jazz orchestra, SWR, and Helsinki ensembles remains demanding but deeply satisfying. “It’s a passion project. Sharing the stage with musicians I admire and hearing my music performed is a great feeling.”
Looking ahead, Emma acknowledges the logistical challenges but remains excited about expanding her big band work: “As I mentioned, I’m writing a lot for my own Big Band, and I’ve got a few projects coming up including one with the WDR Big Band next year. I hope to make a full big band album happen in the next couple of years. It’s about creating new music and finding fresh ways to engage musicians, whether conducting some parts or playing others. It’s a mindset shift, helping others feel confident and sharing the joy of making music together.”
With all this said, it’s clear that Emma remains a restless and ambitious artist, with a wealth of ideas and projects simmering beneath the surface. She talks about her desire to record a quartet album, something she feels is a classic format that she has yet to explore fully. “I’d love to do a tenor saxophone quartet album in the next year or so. It’s such a tried and tested medium, and it feels like an important step for me.” Alongside this, she is nurturing a project for string quartet and piano, a soundscape that reconnects her to her early experiences playing violin and engaging with chamber music. “We’ve performed it a couple of times and recorded it for the BBC. It’s another world for me, and I really want to develop that further.”
Emma is also challenging herself to expand her circle of collaborators beyond familiar faces. “There are musicians I’ve admired for a while but felt a bit daunted to approach. Now feels like the right time to reach out internationally and see what happens.” She acknowledges that the path forward rarely follows one’s precise plans but embraces that uncertainty as part of the creative journey: “You never know how things will play out, but that’s what keeps it interesting.”
When asked about the personal bucket list, Emma shares passions beyond music. As a keen linguist fluent in French, Spanish, German, and English, she hopes to add more languages—perhaps from a different alphabet like Mandarin or Arabic—to her repertoire someday. Outside music, Emma enjoys powerlifting and speaks of a desire to compete in amateur competitions as a way to cultivate focus and balance. Finally, she expresses an aspiration to write a book, signaling that her creative energies extend beyond sound and stage.
Emma Rawicz’s story is one of a young artist grounded in tradition yet fearless in exploration, committed to growth and connection at every level. From her early fascination with big bands to her current ventures into new musical landscapes and personal horizons, she embodies the restless spirit of jazz itself—a journey always in motion, always unfolding.
Last modified: May 5, 2026
