I am constantly aware of and excited by the sounds of the environment around me and these sounds have a profound influence on my teaching and composition. Not that I try to copy these sounds; rather I am inspired by their rhythms, their textures and their micropolyphony…

Biography

James Instone was born in Huddersfield, England in 1964 and emigrated to New Zealand as a youth. He graduated in composition and conducting at the University of Canterbury (Christchurch, New Zealand) and trained as a teacher at the Christchurch College of Education.

He subsequently undertook post-graduate composition and conducting studies with Karlin Greenstreet Love and Monte Mumford at the University of Tasmania in 1996-97. James has conducted many ensembles and was also a member of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra’s clarinet section from 1986-2000.

In 2001 James took up a teaching post as Head of Aesthetics at Chatsworth International School in Singapore and he is now the Head of Junior School Music at Jerudong International School in Brunei Darussalam.

James has written a wide range of works for many professional, amateur and school-based ensembles, including pieces for symphony orchestra, wind orchestra, string orchestra, choir, solo wind instruments, several school musicals, Orff ensemble and most recently, a Concertino for Soprano Saxophone, Strings and Harp (2005) and a commissioned work Perjalanan Seharian (2007) for SATB choir, chamber orchestra and gamelan ensemble.

• Works (3)