​  WHAT'S HAPPENING

My album La Solitude - the songs of Barbara, was released on Resonus Classics on July 10th. My regular collaborator Joe Atkins wrote some gorgeous arrangements for the recording, which feature the Solem Quartet and Saxophonist Megan Glover.   

Stream and download the album here:  orcd.co/4m1ge1o
Buy the CD here: tinyurl.com/2s47kw7r

We'll be launching the album at Live at St Giles on the 13th September at 5pm, in a concert of all-French music, including a performance of the album. Book tickets here: www.liveatstgiles.com/events/sep26-jessica-walker-la-solitude

Read an interview with me about the album, and about Barbara, on Presto Music: www.prestomusic.com/classical/articles/7279--interview-jessica-walker-on-barbara
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I adapted the wonderful novel Coming up for Air, by Sarah Leipciger, for a new opera by Bernd Franke, commissioned by Oper Leipzig. The premiere was in March 2026.  It was universally well reviewed, and played to nearly a full house for each of its performances.  Here's an article I wrote about it for Opera Now: https://www.opera-now.com/content/features/preview-coming-up-for-air-desire-death-and-the-afterlife-of-an-unknown-woman

In June and July  I'll be reuniting with the Gavin Bryars Ensemble for a new programme of songs by Cohen, Waits and Weill, called After the Rain. We tried out some of the new songs at Café Oto in September. It was a great night (image above).  This summer we're at King's Place and the Lichfield Festival
Booking for Kings Place here : https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/contemporary/after-the-rain-with-gavin-bryars-ensemble-and-jess-walker-songs-of-waits-cohen-and-weill/
Booking for Lichfield Festival here:  https://lichfieldfestival.org/event/after-the-rain/

Also at Lichfield Festival, I’ll be reprising La Solitude, my new show about French singer-songwriter Barbara, which played at the Jermyn Street Theatre and JW3 in 2025, with MD Joseph Atkins, directed by Sarah Frankcom.  Book here: https://lichfieldfestival.org/event/la-solitude/

I've just finished the inaugural QueerScore Festival , which I co-founded and co-directed with Sholto Biscoe. This new ACE-funded music festival celebrated new work, and music in the margins. We had some amazing acts, including BULLYACHE, The Fourth Choir and Trans Voices UK.  Go to our website to keep up to date with what happens next!
 www.queerscore.co.uk




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