Charlie Cawood

Charlie Cawood is a British multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music journalist renowned for his versatility across diverse musical traditions. Proficient in over 20 instruments—including the sitar, pipa, shamisen, and various lutes—he integrates elements from Western classical, Indian, Chinese, and Balinese music into his work.

Cawood’s formal education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Popular Music Performance and Production from the London Centre of Contemporary Music and a Master’s in Music Performance from SOAS, University of London, where he specialized in East and Southeast Asian music. Since turning professional at 17, he has been an active member of several ensembles, such as Knifeworld, Mediaeval Baebes, Lost Crowns, Tonochrome, and Kyros.

His solo albums, The Divine Abstract (2017) and Blurring Into Motion (2019), have been critically acclaimed for their intricate compositions and fusion of global musical styles. Beyond performance, Cawood contributes to Songlines magazine and teaches at the London College of Creative Media. He is also an advocate for mental health awareness within the music industry, drawing from his personal experiences to inform his writing and outreach.