Shirley Smart Trio

Shirley Smart Trio featuring Shirley Smart on cello, John Crawford on piano and Demi Garcia Sabat on drums.

Shirley Smart is recognised as one of the UK's most versatile and creative cellists being equally at home and well versed in jazz and Middle Eastern music, as well as classical music.

Originally trained under Raphael Wallfisch at the Guildhall School of Music, and Janos Starker in Paris, she subsequently moved to Jerusalem, where she remained for 10 years, studying and performing a wide variety of musical traditions from the North Africa, Turkey and Middle East. She was also highly active on the jazz scene, working with artists including Avishai Cohen, Omer Avital and Yasmin Levy. Since returning to the UK, she has quickly become known as one of the most creative cellists on the music scene and has worked with many leading jazz and world music groups, including Antonio Forcione, Mulato Astatke, Gilad Atzmon, Neil Cowley, Julian Ferraretto, Robert Mitchell, Maya Youssef and Alice Zawadzki. Shirley also leads the band Melange.

Shirley is Professor of Musicianship and Improvisation at the Royal College of Music in London, and an Assistant Lecturer at Kent University. She also teaches at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and RCM Junior Department, as well as a visiting tutor for the National Youth Jazz Collective, and an in demand workshop leader.