John Harle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Harle
OBE FRSA
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Harle in 2001
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| Background information | |
| Born | 20 September 1956 |
| Origin | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | Progressive, Pop, Soundtrack, Hybrid, Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Composer and Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Universal, EMI Classics, Decca, Argo, Unicorn-Kanchana, Hannibal, Sospiro |
John Harle is a famous English saxophonist, composer, and musician. He was born on September 20, 1956. He has won an Ivor Novello Award and two Royal Television Society awards for his amazing music.
John Harle has worked with many well-known artists. These include Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and Herbie Hancock. He also helped create music for popular songs and albums. In 2020, he released a huge collection of 20 albums called The John Harle Collection. All the money from this collection went to help musicians in need.
He is currently a Professor of Music at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 2025, he received an award called the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his contributions to music.
Contents
About John Harle
Early Life and Training
John Harle was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1956. From 1974 to 1977, he was the main clarinet player in the Coldstream Guards band. He won an award for being the best Army Instrumentalist in 1975.
In 1977, he earned a special scholarship to study the saxophone at the Royal College of Music in London. He was an outstanding student. In 1979, he became the first student in the college's history to graduate with a perfect score of 100%. He continued his studies in Paris, France.
From 1978 to 1983, John Harle was part of the National Theatre Music Department. He performed in many plays as both an actor and a musician. He also played the lead saxophone for the composer Michael Nyman's band for 15 years. From 1986 to 1995, he was the main saxophonist for The London Sinfonietta.
A Top Saxophone Performer
John Harle was one of the best saxophone soloists in classical music from 1984 into the early 2000s. He worked with famous jazz artists like Herbie Hancock and John Dankworth.
As a solo performer, he has played and recorded with many famous conductors. These include Leonard Bernstein and Sir Neville Marriner. He has performed all over the world, including the UK, Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan.
More than 25 concertos (special pieces for a solo instrument and orchestra) have been written just for him. These pieces were created by composers like Mark-Anthony Turnage and Sir Harrison Birtwistle.
He has recorded over 50 albums. In 1995, he performed Birtwistle’s saxophone concerto Panic at the famous Last Night of the Proms concert. He also played his own concerto, The Little Death Machine, at the Proms in 2002.
Michael Nyman, a famous composer, described John Harle's saxophone sound as "hard-edged romanticism." A TV documentary called “One Man and his Sax” was made about him. John Harle also wrote a helpful book about playing the saxophone, published in 2017.
John Harle as a Composer
John Harle has written about 50 concert pieces. These include two operas: Angel Magick (for the BBC Proms in 1997) and The Ballad of Jamie Allan (in 2004). In 2014, he created a progressive rock drama called The Tyburn Tree with singer Marc Almond.
His orchestral work Arcadia was turned into a full ballet by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2017. His large musical work Earthlight was performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009.
A short tune he wrote for Nissan in 1993 became a popular pop song. It even reached number one on the UK Dance Charts! His album Terror and Magnificence (1996) featured Elvis Costello. He also helped with Paul McCartney's popular album Standing Stone (1997).
He has composed several pieces for the saxophonist Jess Gillam, including two concertos in 2019.
Music for Film and TV
Starting in 1980, John Harle worked on film music. He helped arrange and produce music for film composer Stanley Myers. Later, he began writing his own music for movies and television shows.
In 1997, John Harle composed the main theme music for the BBC TV series Silent Witness. This theme has been used for over 26 seasons! In 2000, he wrote the music for Simon Schama’s A History of Britain for the BBC. Overall, John Harle has created music for more than 100 film and television productions.
Music Producer
John Harle is also a skilled music producer. He has worked with many record labels like EMI Classics and Decca Classics. He has produced music for artists such as Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and Marc Almond. He has also worked with orchestras like the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor
John Harle conducts many different types of music. He has led famous orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has conducted for special events like the BBC Proms and for TV shows like Silent Witness.
Educator and Mentor
John Harle has been a dedicated teacher. He started the saxophone department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 1984. Under his guidance, it became a very successful department. Many of his students went on to become successful musicians and professors themselves.
He was also a professor at The Royal Northern College of Music from 2006 to 2007. In 2017, he returned to The Guildhall School. There, he became the Director of the Guildhall Bauhaus and a Professor of Music. He has also mentored talented musicians like Jess Gillam and Yolanda Brown.
Awards and Media Appearances
In 2012, John Harle won an award from the Royal Television Society. This was for his music for the BBC 2 program Lucian Freud: Painted Life. The judges said his music was "excellent" and "perfectly complements" the show. This score also won an Ivor Novello Award in 2013 for "Best Television Soundtrack."
He has appeared on BBC Radio programs to talk about his music. In 2013, he discussed his album Art Music, which was inspired by his favorite paintings. In 2014, he talked about his work The Tyburn Tree (Dark London) with Marc Almond. He also discussed the history of the saxophone on another radio show.
Awards and Achievements
- Ivor Novello Awards
- Winner for Best Soundtrack 2013 - for 'Lucian Freud - Painted Life' (BBC2).
- The Royal Television Society
- Winner for 'best original music for television' 2012 - for 'Lucian Freud - Painted Life' (BBC2).
- Winner for best original title music for television 1998 - Silent Witness (BBC1).
- Nomination for best music for television 2009 - The Commander (ITV1).
- Nomination for best music for television 2000 - Summer in the Suburbs (BBC2).
- Nomination for best original title for television 2002 - Defence of the Realm (BBC1).
- Grammy
- Nomination 1999 - Terror and Magnificence.
- Billboard USA
- Reached No.1 position on Crossover Album charts, 1999 - Terror and Magnificence.
- Mercury Music Awards
- Nomination - 1999 - Terror and Magnificence.
- Cannes Film Festival
- Best Artistic Achievement in a Feature Film - 1988 - Prick Up Your Ears - with Stanley Myers.
Family Life
John Harle has two sons. His son Matthew Harle is a writer and works at the Warburg Institute in London. His other son, Danny L Harle, is a composer and producer. Danny has worked with artists like Dua Lipa and Carly Rae Jepsen.
