Aidan Pope wins the Roma Jazz Contest 2025

Published

06.03.2026

Monumental congratulations are very much due to Aidan Pope a UK-based, former Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and former GYJO guitarist, musician and educator who has won the fourth Roma International Jazz Contest (2025) from a round of 10 semi-finalists and 6 finalists from around the world. Aidan is now scheduled to perform in Rome’s 2026 Jazz Festival programme at the Boogie Club in October 2026 - impressive achievements and a phenomenal accolade - massive congratulations from Gloucestershire and the south-west UK!

At the end of November 2025 all semi-finalists performed their c. 15 minute set at Rome’s Boogie Club within a 5-hour afternoon timeframe then the 6 finalists were announced. An hour and a half later the finalists then all had their concluding performance spot. A busy and intense day!

Aidan gave us unique insight into the contest. “The experience of the semi-finals was intense as it was only in front of the panel and other contestants. It was great to meet the other musicians at this point and we all went for food together between the semi-finals and the finals which was a very valuable experience. It was great to meet the two other guitarists from the semi-finals and really nice to see the instrument so well represented. The finals felt more like a gig with a full audience and was much more natural for me because of this. There was a fair amount of pressure on me to perform, knowing how much the flights had cost etc.... but I actually think that helped me play better!”

The Roma Jazz Contest welcomes solo artists from around the world with the aim to enhance and promote young, international jazz artists. The 2025 jury featured Danilo Rea, Giovanni Tommaso, Israel Varela, Ada Montellanico, Gabriele Buonasorte, Brenda Pretorius and Alfredo Santoloci and Aidan impressed them all with his two original pieces “Red Rock” and “Lesconil” and his own arrangement (in a 7/8 time signature) of Sam Rivers’ “Cyclic Episode”. Aidan’s “Red rock” also originates from his Jazz suite “In Between Lands” with an Octet, which is touring the UK in 2026.

The various quotes
of Aidan’s guitar playing, technique, musicianship, “taking risks” and “artistic craftsmanship” speak volumes. The judges and venue have shared highly complimentary praise and credit:

“His performance, which was intense and elegant, best represented the spirit of the Roma Jazz Contest: Discovering and enhancing the new performers of contemporary jazz.”

“Aidan stood out for his impeccable technique, fluid and musical, a modern approach to the jazz guitar, never derivative, and a personal, bright, articulated, constantly evolving sound.”

The Boogie Club posted on their Instagram profile about Aidan’s “Fully developed musical vision, capable of combining modernity, improvisational depth and an instantly recognisable personal sound.”

Aside from the incredible winner’s trophy and performing in the 2026 Roma Jazz Festival, Aidan has received a scholarship and a first prize diploma. He is hoping off of the back of this experience, he will be able to tour more in Europe, especially Italy - “The Italian crowd were a wonderful, passionate audience that I would love to immerse myself in more often.” The Italian Jazz scene is undoubtedly a very passionate one.

Aidan was a member of GYJO during 2013-2015, got highly involved in the Stroud Jazz Club sessions and the Gloucester Academy of Music Summer Jazz course and has kept in frequent contact over the years with Peter Martin at our county Jazz Centre. Aidan went on to study and graduate from the Royal Birmingham conservatoire BMus and MMus Jazz courses and during this time he built up a strong reputation as a Jazz Guitar soloist and was awarded the Phil Miller Solo Guitar Prize.

Aidan has since been performing and touring with his own Jazz ensembles (Aidan Pope Trio & Octet) as well as being a rightfully in demand solo and ensemble musician with other highly reputed Jazz artists; Iain Bellamy, Rebecca Nash, John Turville, Tom Haynes Big Band, Emma Rawicz, James Owston (a former GYJO bassist) and James Chadwick. Aidan has also recently recorded with Cheltenham based saxophonist Dom Franks on his “Duality Part 2” album.

On asking Aidan for any top tips or advice to younger musicians he has encouraged “invest yourself in a scene (Birmingham, London, Amsterdam etc.) for at least 5 years to make long lasting musical connections. These informative years are so important for shaping your musical voice so go to as many jams and concerts as possible and take what you can from each of these. Reflect critically on your playing but not negatively, we are in this for the long run so negativity will only result in burn out.”

Aidan has also been a busy educator involved a various workshops around the UK and GJL were fortunate to get Aidan, former GYJO bassist and RBC graduate James Owston and DYJO (Devon) alumni Emma Rawicz and Matthew Holmes (drummer and RBC graduate) to deliver a workshop and performance in April 2024. The Jazz ensemble and solo playing from them all was outstanding and a great inspiration and to explore their arrangement and composition process on the day, which was the focus of the workshop sessions. We covered and performed a lot that day and Aidan has clearly continued to graft and show strong dedication to his musical passion. Exciting news for exciting UK Jazz talent.

Aidan’s Octet are soon to be playing at the Vortex Jazz Club (London) on Wednesday 18 March if anyone is able to go along - we will be thinking of Aidan during that GYJO rehearsal evening.

Event details: https://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/the-aidan-pope-octet/

Please check out the various shared weblinks and have a listen to “Red Rock” trio performance on YouTube below and “See for yourself” which also features former GYJO Bassist James Owston, Emma Rawicz and Matthew Holmes who were part of our last workshop for GJL in April 2024. There’s plenty more tracks to see on Aidan’s YouTube channel and albums on his Spotify and Bandcamp profiles too.

Well done on the world-wide acclaim Aidan - we are wishing you the very best for 2026 and everywhere your musical career takes you next.

Peter Martin - January 2026