One of the UK's most multi-talented and versatile musicians, John Harle first came to public attention as the leading saxophonist of his generation.
John Harle’s name is synonymous with new and innovative musical ideas and projects across many genres. He is known equally for his work as a pioneer saxophonist as for his bold compositions; vividly intermingling the materials of jazz, rock, classical music, electronics and opera. In 1989 he was appointed Professor of Saxophone and Chamber Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and became the mentor to a new generation of saxophonists.
As the leading saxophonist of his generation, he has sold a quarter of a million CDs and has had over twenty concertos written for him by other leading composers.
Film and TV
John has written around forty scores for the BBC and Channel 4, notably Simon Schama's acclaimed History of Britain series, Dalziel and Pascoe, six series of Silent Witness, as well as the reality documentary The Ship. In 1998 he won the RTS Award for Best Original Title Music for Silent Witness II and received further RTS nominations for his music for the BBC's production of Defence of the Realm.
Further credits include Summer in the Suburbs, The Cruise and The Echo for the BBC, and Citizen 2000 and Degrees for Sale for Channel 4. John has also provided the scores for a number of films; Comrade Lady for Channel 4, The Curious for the BFI, Michael Winterbottom’s Butterfly Kiss, Alchemy Films' Al's Lads and Digital Reaper directed by John Irvin. The Stanley Myers/John Harle score to Prick up Your Ears also received Best Artistic Achievement in a Feature Film at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival.
Adverts
Advertising campaigns have included Nissan, the music to which was nominated for Best Original Music at the UK Advertising Awards, Sony, Vauxhall and many others.
Recordings
As performer, composer, conductor and producer, Harle’s discography numbers some thirty-five recordings on labels including Decca, Argo, EMI Classics, Sony, Hyperion, BMG, Virgin and A&M. John collaborated with Elvis Costello on his top ten hit album Terror and Magnificence, which was nominated in the US Mercury music awards. This was followed in 1997 by Silencium, a CD of his own music released on the Argo label. More recently John produced Lesley Garrett's album I Will Wait for You for BMG and has also enjoyed further collaborations with Ute Lemper, Paul McCartney, Moondog, Michael Nyman and Andy Sheppard, and with conductors Riccardo Chailly, Michael Tilson-Thomas, Andrew Davis, Neville Marriner, Elgar Howarth and Frans Welser-Möst. John has also been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.
Classical Works
John has composed over 25 concert works many of which he performs himself. His extensive list of credits includes three commissions for the BBC Proms: the opera Angel Magick, Royal Ring Road for the King's Singers and the saxophone concerto The Little Death Machine which premiered in 2002.
External Websites
http://www.smatalent.com/
View John Harle on chesternovello.com