A TALENTED musician toasting a remarkable 2005 has already got 2006 off to a good start as scores of radio listeners have seen in the new year with his work.

Andi Garbi has been a musician for about 10 years and has performed in several bands locally, being co-founder of world-dance music collective Headhunters.

The group featured fellow Malvern resident and musician Nigel Kennedy as special guest and Andi headlined the Avalon stage at Glastonbury Festival with them in 1999, also playing the Trans-musicale Festival in France the same year.

He said: "It was awesome playing Glastonbury because it's a great experience for an unsigned band to headline a major stage at a festival - it was just a whirlwind."

Since 1999 Andi, of Ebrington Road, West Malvern, turned his attentions to writing music more and started composing for ballet, working for the Birmingham Royal Ballet and national theatres.

The performer, who also lectures at Worcester College of Technology, describes his music as very emotive and dark - a unique blend of Bjork, Massive Attack and Dead Can Dance.

Last year, he won a Performing Rights Society Foundation ATOM Award for advances towards original music and he received a standing ovation at the Royal Opera House.

During the year he also represented the UK with an international commission and performance that earned him a commendation from the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the Arts Council.

To top it off, last month the singer - whose stunning voice spans almost four octaves - graduated with distinction from Birmingham Conservatoire, gaining a masters degree in composition. He was also awarded a post-graduate prize for excellence.

Classic FM listeners got a taste of what he is all about on New Year's Day as tracks from his latest album Real, featured on the station's Chiller Cabinet show. He said: "It was a great end to a fantastic year to hear my music was going to go out on the airwaves." JOBY MULLENS