Kings Place Jazz Orchestra: 70 Years of West Side Story
About the Event
Kings Place Jazz Orchestra returns to Hall One to celebrate 70 years of Bernstein’s iconic ‘West Side Story’. At its heart is Creative Director Callum Au’s six-movement suite, reimagining the musical’s most famous melodies for big band.
Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story made its Broadway debut in 1957 and has become one of the most enduring works of musical theatre. For this anniversary celebration, KPJO’s Creative Director, Callum Au, brings its music into the world of the big band with his continuous six-movement suite.
Callum’s West Side Story Suite for Big Band is based on some of the most famous melodies from Bernstein’s musical. The suite was first performed during West Side Story’s 50th anniversary year at Cadogan Hall’s Out to Lunch festival. It reinvents the well-known music from the show, with each movement giving a new big band twist to Bernstein’s melodies, from the shifting time signatures of Something’s Coming to the electric, Jaco-influenced America and the pensive, gospel treatment of Somewhere.
Kings Place Jazz Orchestra is a handpicked, project-based ensemble made up of some of the UK’s finest jazz and big band musicians, alongside rising young artists. Founded in 2025, the orchestra was created to bring the powerful, immersive sound of the big band to the heart of Kings Place.
Committed to celebrating the depth of jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries of contemporary large-ensemble writing, KPJO places ambitious new arrangements and projects at the centre of its work.
This event will last approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, including the interval.
Kings Place Jazz Orchestra
Founded in 2025 by Callum Au (Creative Director), Hannah Hutton (Producer), and Sam McShane (Artistic Director, Kings Place), the Orchestra was created to bring the powerful, immersive sound of the big band to the heart of a contemporary arts centre.
Callum Au
Callum Au is a British composer, arranger, orchestrator, and trombonist. He writes music across a wide range of genres, with a particular passion for orchestral and large jazz ensemble music. He is highly regarded for his stylistic awareness and versatility, and has worked with some of the world’s biggest artists.
Reviews:
‘It is heartening to report on a jazz venture getting off to such an auspicious start.’ Sebastian Scotney, UK Jazz News
‘You might think that to compare Au with Mandel is unreasonable. If so, just sit back and let the music envelop you…’ ★★★★★ Alan Musson, UK Vibe
‘The remarkable young arranger Callum Au is already a master [of the] mysterious art of orchestration and arranging.’ ★★★★ Dave Gelly, The Guardian