Born in London in 1992, Tom Ollendorff is fast becoming one of the best-known young guitarists to emerge on the international jazz scene. A graduate from the Royal Welsh College of Music in Cardiff, he was awarded the Yamaha Parliamentary Jazz Scholarship in 2015 before moving to London in 2016 to begin a career as professional musician.
As a performer, Tom has collaborated with many leading international artists, including Ari Hoenig, Bill McHenry, Geoff Simkins, Aaron Parks, Will Vinson, Tim Garland, Nitai Hershkovits and Ben Wendel.
In 2021 his debut album A Song For You was released on Fresh Sound Records and received international acclaim with The Guardian describing it as ‘traditional but very classy, Música Jazz saying it is a ‘highly recommended album for those who care about the fate of jazz guitar’ and both BBC Music Magazine and Jazz Journal awarding it 4 star reviews.
The album’s release launched an international touring career that has seen Tom perform at many of Europe’s best known Jazz clubs including Ronnie Scott’s, Sunset-Sunside, Jamboree, Jimmy Glass, Jazz-Hus Montmartre, Nardis, Budapest Jazz Club, Jazz in Bess, Jazz Club Ferrara and countless others as well as performances at notable venues and festivals including Glastonbury Festival, The Cedars Hall, London Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival and the One Day Jazz Festival in Slovakia.
His second album as a leader, Open House (2023), featured his long-standing trio with Marc Michel (drums) and Conor Chaplin (bass), alongside special guest Ben Wendel on four tracks. That same year, he also released Enchanted, a co-led project with American drummer Ari Hoenig, again on Fresh Sound Records.
In 2024, Tom released his first solo album, Solo Volume 1, on Ubuntu Records, accompanied by a series of solo concerts across Europe, including performances at the London Jazz Festival and the Larvik International Guitar Festival.
Tom's latest highly acclaimed release "Where in the World" features Aaron Parks, james Maddren and Conor Chaplin, gained rave reviews from the jazz community and spurned a huge concert tour of Europe and Asia.
Tom is known for his highly distinctive sound which blends virtuosic technique, sophisticated harmonic concepts with nuance and sensitivity. His innovative and distinctive approach to the guitar has led to Tom building a following in the broader guitar community and in 2022 he published his first works for solo guitar with Faber Music. The book, titled ‘Etudes’ has been sold across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North America.
Widely recognised for his highly distinctive sound, Tom blends virtuosic technique with a sophisticated harmonic language, nuance, and sensitivity. In 2022, he published Etudes, his first collection of works for solo guitar, with Faber Music. The book has since sold internationally across Europe, Asia, Australasia, and North America, further cementing his reputation within the global guitar community.
Tom is currently a visiting tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music and has been a guest tutor at many top institutions internationally including The Guildhall, Nanjing University, Istanbul Bachesir University and Leeds College of Music.
GUITAR
Tom Ollendorff
"Their playing together, running through intricate harmonies and intriguing melodies is marvellous, so sympathetic and in tune with each other. It’s a synergy where they are so much more than their individual parts" (UK Jazz News)
Elegant melodies and attentive improv (The Guardian)
In truth, in a perfect world (has there ever been one?) Ollendorff's compositions would be the staple fare of a future Great British Songbook. (Bebop Spoken Here)
This is an album that hits that sweet spot of being both readily accessible and offering depths that reveal something new with each listen (Jazz Views)
'A very ambitious and beautifully realised set of recordings '(Jazzwise)
This is a work overflowing with the talent to carry the future of the jazz guitar world ! (Jazzlife Japan)
Where in the World is a sparklingly wonderful record, the kind that makes you wonder why you’ve haven’t heard of its creator before (The Big Takeover)
Where the World is one of the sneaky good albums, with melodic lines that linger long after it stops playing, likely to keep luring the listener back for repeated listens. (Making a Scene)
A talented young British guitarist, Tom Ollendorff enlisted pianist Aaron Parks for his new album, which is vocal, sophisticated, and quite delightful. (TSF JAZZ)