Composer

Biography

Composer/Pianist Jonathan Besser was born in New York City in 1949, and studied composition in New York at the Mannes College of Music and with David Loeb. Resident in New Zealand since 1974 , based mainly in Wellington. He has created acoustic and electronic music in collaboration with leading writers, choreographers, musicians, artists and film makers, including Gaylene Preston, Mary Jane O’Reilly Warrick Broadhead, Keri Hulme, Ross Harris, Michael Parmenter, Philip Mann and Allen Brunton, Don McGlashan, Billy Apple and Australian auther Roger Mc Donald. He has composed original music for many film, radio, stage and t.v. productions.

His commissions include the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, the Wellington Sinfonia, and the New Zealand String Quartet (touring schools with them in 1994). He is leader of his own New Music groups most notably the ‘Besser Ensemble’ (1987-1997) touring schools throughout N.Z. with major support from Creative NZ as well as making numerous recordings. He is also founding member of Free Radicals (electronic music) and Triphonics, touring China with Triphonics in March 1996. In 1997 he performed at the WOMAD festival (Auckland), and he had his orchestral piece “No Riff” premiered by the Wellington Symphonia. In June 1997 he collaborated with Warwick Broadhead on a huge movement music theatre spectacle at Downstage theatre ‘The life and Times of Constance Flux’. In 1998, Besser has travelled to New Caledonia to produce original film music for the new Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in Noumea and in the 1998 Wellington International Arts Festival he performed solo (piano) nightly at the Dans Paleis. In March Besser premiered his show ‘A quick look at Sound Light and Time’ in the Fringe Festival. He is currently living in Auckland where he was 1998 composer in residence with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, director of the New Romantics as well as current Musical Director of the Auckland Ballet. His latest new performance group ‘Bravura’ are performing around Australia and New Zealand. He was a finalist in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Music 2000 Prize and composer for Mary Jane O’Reilly’s ‘Te Rangi Marie’ Millennium dawn event collaborating with Waihirere Kapa Haka group.