BARSCHAK, Tamara

Tamara trained as a classical pianist in London and later at the Conservatoire de Montreuil in Paris. She then branched out into Jazz, Funk, Soul Blues and Latin Music, studying at both Goldsmiths University and Morley College. Her love of South American music took her to Brazil where she spent several years studying and playing Brazilian music.

Released in 2022, Tamara's album Kaleidoscope was hailed by Neil March of Resonance FM radio as an incredible debut, calling the music 'a set of lovingly crafted and really accomplished contemporary jazz-infused songs'. Renowned British saxophonist Kim Cypher, played the track 'Rivers of You' from Tamara's album 'Kaleidoscope' on her Jazz Radio Show 'We Are The Big Jazz Hullabaloo' describing the music as 'incredibly haunting and beautiful'.

In December 2024, Tamara was featured in the 'Women In Jazz' Media Magazine, in an interview that explored her musical background, style and future projects.

As a composer, Tamara has always enjoyed the challenge of writing in different genres to give a piece it's distinct musical flavour. She has written scores for short films, adverts, animation, plays and other visual media. In the Italian art house movie "Indian Dream" she juxtaposes ethnic melodies alongside classical strains to create two different fantasy worlds. In the Aeschylus play "Choephori" shown at the Bloomsbury theatre in 2010 she found it creatively challenging to compose vocal music for choral lines that didn't have an iambic metre.

In 2008 she composed the score to the advert “Basta Pouco”, the branding advert for the Rome Film Festival.

In 2009 her soundtrack to the short film “Indian Dream” was published by CAM original soundtrack. The film had a theatrical release in Rome and Milan.

Her score to the multi-award winning short film “The 2.40 to London” picked up best soundtrack at the Monkey Bread Film Festival in 2018 and has garnered further nominations for best score at other festivals.

In 2023, Trinity College of Music published her piece "Variations On A Procul Theme", piano variations inspired by the song “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, as part of their Grade 4 Piano Syllabus.

In June 2024 Tamara was commissioned to write the music to the play “Just Call Me Al”, a piece that examined dementia and it's effects on families. The play premiered at the White Bear Theatre in London. The score captured the deep pain and suffering of those with dementia, the whistful longing to get back pieces of one's former self and the final letting go and death of one's identity and the self.

Later that year, Tamara also composed the music for the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe comedy extravaganza "Beryl and Clive; Sing or Die". Here she created a soundscape that fused musical nods to nursery rhymes with blues and bossanova harmonies and rhythms.

In 2026 Tamara’s instrumental track for piano and cello “Saudade” will be used as the soundtrack to the documentary feature film “Inheritance” , a story tracing a young girl’s roots, her grandparents’ fight for justice and the legacy of compassion and kindness she carries within her.

Tamara is currently finishing her E.P “Luminosity”, due for release in 2026. The album features songs about heritage and re-birth and is being produced by the critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie, for her record label Pastiche Records.