Jessica Laird
Jessica Laird completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Melbourne Conservatorium in 2011. Under the guidance of Peter Sheridan, she has been the first flutist from the Melbourne Conservatorium to complete an Honours specialising on the Alto Flute. In 2013, she finished her Masters of Music (Performance Teaching) where she specialised on Alto flute under the tuition of Mardi McSullea.
Jessica's interest in new expression through sound exploration and improvisation is reflected in The Laird Project, a collaborative duo formed with contemporary saxophonist, Rohan Laird. She has worked closely with Melbournian composer, Kitty Xiao, premiering original compositions as a member of Nimbus Trio. Jessica has recorded as a guest artist on Peter Sheridan's Sonorous Sonatas (Move 2014) and Fantasie Australis (Move, 2013) which has been broadcasted with ABC.
Performing as Nimbus Trio
Nimbus Trio was founded in 2013 by Kitty Xiao and Jessica Laird. The trio advocates and performs new music, including that of composer Kitty Xiao; and have commissioned new works by Australian composers as well as U.S composers.
Novum
Kitty Xiao’s chamber works from 2013 to 2016, played by the Nimbus Trio with guest bass clarinet on the closing score.
Jessica Laird also appears on
Sonorous Sonatas
Peter Sheridan set out to bring the larger, lower flutes to centre stage, testing their sound and colour within one of Western music’s most traditional forms: the sonata. Commissioned works and substantial duo writing put alto, bass, contrabass and subcontrabass flutes in the foreground.
Jessica Laird is a member of
Monash University Flute Ensemble
The Monash University Flute Ensemble is directed by Peter Sheridan. The flautists perform on the wide array of instruments from the modern day flute ensemble (from piccolo to hyperbass flute).