About
Composer
Jack Pepper (b.1999) is one of the UK's youngest commissioned composers.
In his teenage years, he wrote music for the Royal Opera House, Classic FM's 25th Birthday, the Royal Philharmonic Society, for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's 125th Birthday, for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, The Band of HM Royal Marines and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Jack has recorded his work with acclaimed conductors including Sir Antonio Pappano, Vasily Petrenko and Kirill Karabits; his music has been broadcast on Classic FM and the BBC.
Alongside classical concert works, Jack is a songwriter in theatre and popular music. His work has been played at events ranging from the official Canada 150 Celebrations in Trafalgar Square, to the final ever Beating Retreat Ceremony at the iconic UK military hospital Headley Court. Jack's piece 'Chance' features on the JUNO Award-nominated album SymphRONica Upfront.
In 2023, he helped devise and launch a major new global composition initiative for young people across the Commonwealth, in association with their official music organisation, the Commonwealth Resounds; the Commonwealth Music Relay saw a group of young people from across the world co-write a brand new song, which will now travel the world in a Music Relay, with variations contributed by young people in each country.
2023 also saw Jack devise and lead a new UK music education campaign with Music For Youth, 'A Thank You Note' #ThankYourMusicTeacher, which culminated in two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall; 3000 young people came together at the MFY Proms, performing songs from a new stage work Jack has written in tribute to his piano teacher. This show, Duet, is currently in development in association with The Lowry, Mayflower / MAST Studios and Norwich Theatres. Thank Your Music Teacher returns in 2024 supported by the BBC, and will become an annual campaign.
Among Jack's other theatre works is his children's seaside show Gulls & Buoys, for which Jack penned book, music and lyrics. Over the course of a year, this has been performed in five schools, working with the GLF Schools Foundation and The Tasso Foundation.
As a performer, Jack appeared as a vocalist at Wembley Arena aged eleven, has performed on stage at the Royal Albert Hall, Soho Theatre and the Roundhouse, has sung and played in front of Royalty and was a guest on the piano alongside Platinum-selling string quartet Bond at their 20th Anniversary celebration concert at Union Chapel.
"Brilliant, warm, generous, funny and open minded...one of England's most talked about young musicians." - WWFM The Classical Network (USA)
"cool, catchy tunes...a fine example of the fusion of styles." - The WholeNote (Canada), about Jack Pepper's 'Chance', recorded by SymphRONica in an arrangement by JUNO Award-winning Mike Downes
Broadcaster
Jack is one of the youngest-ever national radio presenters in the UK.
He presents weekend afternoons on Magic Radio's Magic Classical (formerly Scala Radio), and hosts the Musical Theatre and Classical Music shows for British Airways and Aer Lingus.
Aged 19, he helped build and became a presenter on Scala Radio, the UK's newest national classical radio station. Jack joined a line-up that includes some of the UK's best-loved presenters, including Simon Mayo, Angellica Bell and Mark Kermode.
For five years, his weekly Saturday show, Jack Pepper's Culture Bunker, went behind-the-scenes in music. His guests have included some of the biggest stars in the arts world, including: Take That's Gary Barlow, pianist Lang Lang, soprano Renée Fleming, conductor Sir Simon Rattle, 16-time Grammy-winning violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, theatrical producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, singer Bonnie Tyler, violinist Nigel Kennedy, mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, 3-time Oscar-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz, composer and conductor John Adams, percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, choirmaster Gareth Malone, Oscar-winning Frozen songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, actor Simon Callow, Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp, violinist Nicola Benedetti,
lyricist Sir Tim Rice, film composer Alan Silvestri, actor Mandy Patinkin, composer Sir Karl Jenkins, comedian Alistair McGowan, Mamma Mia! creator Judy Craymer, violinist Hilary Hahn,
actress Dame Sheila Hancock, legendary The Windmills Of Your Mind co-writer Alan Bergman, conductor Sir Antonio Pappano, Doctor Dolittle writer Leslie Bricusse, singer and composer Rufus Wainwright, composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown, pianist Alice Sara Ott, pianist and broadcaster Jools Holland, songwriter Mike Batt, pop star Jack Savoretti,
original Four Season and Jersey Boy Bob Gaudio,
cellist Steven Isserlis, singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo,
Man in the Mirror co-writer Glen Ballard, conductor Sir Mark Elder, actress and influencer Carrie Hope Fletcher, soprano Lesley Garrett, composer John Rutter, singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading, composer Sir James MacMillan, tenor Russell Watson, Oscar-winning La La Land composer Justin Hurwitz, choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips and, in 2019 and 2024, TONY Awards Specials from New York.
Scala Radio became Magic Classical in September 2024, but his programme times remain the same: Saturday and Sunday, 3-7pm.
Jack is also the host and curator of both the musical theatre and the classical show for British Airways, available via their in-flight entertainment, High Life, and also available on Aer Lingus.
'Curtain Call' takes listeners inside these genres, spotlighting global artists and events with star guests and recommendations.
Jack has also presented on Magic Radio's Magic At The Musicals, hosting interview specials including an exclusive 75th Birthday celebration with Sir Cameron Mackintosh, and an extended interview with Mandy Patinkin. Plus, in 2022, Jack conceived and co-presented Jazz Meets Classical on Jazz FM and Scala Radio, a UK radio first that saw two national radio stations broadcast the same series, exploring the area where genres blur; this was nominated for a New York Festivals Radio Award.
In 2019, he produced and presented 'Insights@TheGrange', a podcast series for the Grange Festival, exploring the operas of their 2019 season. In 2021, he produced and presented a podcast series for Poland's Adam Mickiewicz Institute, exploring the work of composer Krzysztof Penderecki. He also hosted the Royal Marines Band Service Virtual Experience 2021, appearing on film with members of the RMBS to explore the opportunities available. In 2023, he became a host of Classeek's Classeek 15 coffee-break podcast, interviewing a range of classical stars and behind-the-scenes figures about how to launch a career and make a living in classical music.
Jack also presents and curates live events. He has hosted at the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham's Symphony Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Aged 19, he addressed the European Radio Show Conference in Paris, exploring how classical music can be presented to new audiences.
He has appeared as a guest on The One Show, BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4 and on Classic FM.
Aged 19, Jack was named as one of the 2019 ReelWorld Radio Academy 30 Under 30, highlighting 30 people under the age of 30 in the UK radio industry showing "tenacity, talent and a proven trajectory".
YOU CAN EXPLORE SOME OF JACK'S INTERVIEWS THROUGH THE 'VIDEOS' AND 'AUDIO' TABS ABOVE.
"Genial" - The Times
Writer
Jack is a contributor to Gramophone, including curating their 2022/23, 23/24 and 24/25 Season Previews and writing their official tribute to
HM Queen Elizabeth II. He writes features and curates playlists for their website.
He also writes and reviews for Musicals Magazine, a new international magazine celebrating the world of Musical Theatre from the West End to Broadway and beyond.
He has written opinion pieces and blogs for The Telegraph,
The Times, the Daily Mirror, BBC Music Magazine, Slipped Disc, the Royal Philharmonic Society, Jessica Duchen's JDCMB, Classeek and RadioToday, and a series of columns for Musical Opinion and Jewish News. He has been a monthly columnist for the industry publication Classical Music Magazine. Jack has also reviewed for Opera and Opera Today.
Articles about Jack's work have appeared in national publications including The Observer, the Radio Times, The Guardian, Total TV Guide and The i.
Jack's debut book, 'Raising The Roof: A Dazzling History Of Classical Music', is a vibrant and accessible introduction to classical music, with illustrations by Michele Bruttomesso; published by Templar / Bonnier Books, it was released 6th June 2024. It is available online and at all good bookshops.
Advocacy
Jack is particularly passionate about music education, bringing classical music and live performances to younger audiences and improving access to the arts in state schools.
He is an Ambassador for the national UK charity Music For Youth. In 2023, he devised and led their major new national campaign, #ThankYourMusicTeacher, which included two major concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and partnered with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, UK Music, ISM, Music Mark, Musicians' Union, National Education Union and The Times newspaper, and received support from musicians including Andrew and Julian Lloyd Webber, Nile Rodgers, Mumford & Sons and Marin Alsop. The campaign returns in 2024, and Jack has appeared on The One Show and BBC Radios 3 and 4 to discuss it.
He is a board member and non-exec director of Creative UK Group (formerly the Creative Industries Federation and Creative England), having previously sat on their UK Council. This is the independent network for the UK's creative industries, representing the creative sector to government, the public and convening cross-sector conversations, as well as distributing major grants.
He is a member of a creative board and strategic think tank for Glyndebourne, the world-leading opera festival.
Jack also sits on the Youth Council of The Ivors Academy.
Jack is involved regularly on judging and selection panels for major music and arts awards, including The BPI's BRIT Awards (for five years running), The RPS Awards and The Student Radio Awards.
In 2024, he was invited to join a Creative Conference of 250 of the UK's most influential cultural leaders, to discuss future cultural policy and priorities with leading politicians.
In his late teens, Jack was a Trustee for the DMRC Benevolent Fund, supporting injured service personnel in their rehabilitation, and an Ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust.
"Sparky" - The Times