Bess combines her experience in commercial fundraising and arts education charities in her work for NYJO, focussing on raising funds to help secure NYJO’s future. She is passionate about accessible arts education, particularly in regards to keeping pathways into jazz open to everyone.
Outside of NYJO, Bess works as a musician, creating and performing regularly with various ensembles across the UK. Her first professional gigs were working across the working men’s club big band scene in the north of England, inspiring a life-long love of big band music. Now as the baritone saxophone player for Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band and Sam Eastmond’s Composer’s Workshop Big Band, she finds great joy in bringing raucous and experimental big band music into venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, Vortex Jazz Club, and Love Supreme.
