YOU don’t normally associate a saxophone with classical music, but Jess Gillam does not differentiate.

Balancing a busy performance schedule with her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Jess moves effortlessly between many different musical genres, from concerto performances with leading orchestras, to jazz groups, and to chamber music settings, as we shall hear from her richly varied programme at the Music in Peebles concert on Thursday, December 7.

The programme she has chosen for Music in Peebles illustrates her eclectic taste, ranging from French ‘impressionism’ to film music and, of course, jazz.

Jess will play music by Béla Bartók, Chick Corea, Claude Debussy, Peter DeRose, Dave Heath, Pedro Iturralde, Darius Milhaud, Michael Nyman, Maurice Ravel, Jeremy Wall, John Williams and Phil Woods.

In 2016, at the age of 17, Jess made history as the first saxophonist to win the Woodwind Final of BBC Young Musician of the Year.

She then reached the grand final at London’s Barbican Hall, and performed Michael Nyman’s “Where the Bee Dances” with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, to widespread critical acclaim.

This year Jess made her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall, performing as soloist with both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Jonathan Fisher, who will perform with Jess in Peebles, is the supreme piano accompanist.

Committed to working with the next generation of musicians he enjoys the thrill of making music with other people, and has featured as accompanist in several category finals of BBC Young Musician of the Year Award.

As well as solo national and international piano performances, he works with instrumentalists, singers and chamber groups, covering a huge spectrum of repertoire from the early baroque to the present day in all musical genres.

Jonathan is the Staff Pianist at The Royal Northern College of Music and Pianist-In-Residence at The University of Huddersfield. He also works as a freelance pianist and coach.

With the partnership of two artistes of such sensitivity and versatility the Peebles performance promises to be an exciting concert of cross cultural musical genres – something for everyone.

Tickets for the Music in Peebles Concert at the Eastgate Theatre are £14 (£7 if accompanying a child under 12), fulltime students up to age 25 are free and schoolchildren also free.

Tickets are available from the Eastgate theatre Box office. 01721 725777 or online www.eastgatearts.com.

The concert will start at 7.30pm.