Tom Stephenson

Tom Stephenson (b.1994) is a largely self taught Glasgow based guitarist and composer. Originally from Darlington, England, Tom's journey into music began when he asked his parents for a guitar at the age of fourteen. Since then he has dedicated himself to the instrument, assimilating much about a broad range of styles in a very short period of time. At the age of nineteen, having only been playing for a mere four and a half years his local college approached him about joining the teaching staff. He also played stints with most of the big bands in the region.

In 2015 Tom was awarded a scholarship to study jazz at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the direction of saxophonist Tommy Smith and he is still there completing his final year. Since then he has become a usual suspect playing on the Glasgow jazz scene, over the years he has played with Mark Nightingale, John Faddis, Mike Stern and has played as part of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Jazz Festivals.

Some kind words said about Tom:

“Tom Stephenson is a fantastic musician with exceptional ears; always playing with clarity and sensitivity. His humble and open-minded approach to learning will undoubtedly benefit him as his career progresses. Tom is certainly one to look out for!” - Matt Roberts, London-based musician/trumpeter

“Once he grasps an idea he is able to implement it quickly into his playing in a musical way. Tom has improved a huge amount as a guitarist and improviser over the year. He is a musical and inventive player.” - Kevin Mackenzie, guitarist

“I had the pleasure of playing with Tom earlier this year at a festival in Darlington. I was really impressed by his playing, I found Tom to be both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about guitar and its role in music and I look forward to working with him again.” - Bruce Adams, trumpeter