Jonathan Clarke was born in Solihull in 1977; aged twelve he won the West Midlands under-16 Piano and Organ Championships, reaching the National Yamaha Finals. In 1996 he was appointed organ scholar at Trinity College, Oxford, where he studied under Thomas Trotter, and recorded a CD of Trinity College Choir with Priory Records. He graduated with a BA (music) in 1999 and was appointed Head of Organ Studies at Eltham College, London; he has also been Organist and Choirmaster at Knowle Church and taught at Solihull School. He was guest soloist for the tercentenary of Castle Howard, Yorkshire and other engagements have included at Durham and Birmingham Cathedrals and for the BBC’s Songs of Praise.
Jonathan’s
first major compositions were for the theatre: his Piano Quartet was used for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are
Dead at the Old Fire Station, Oxford; his musical, Empty
Spaces, in collaboration with lyricist Tim Craig, was
described as ‘beautiful and haunting’ by Oxford Daily
Information. He has worked on editorial projects for
Virgo Music Publishing: his realisation of the St.
Thomas Sonata, the oldest surviving known work for solo
trombone, was praised for its ‘skilful and idiomatic qualities’ by the American Brass Society Journal.
His Bittersweet for Bassoon and Piano was recently commissioned by Queen’s Temple
Publications.
His Organ Concerto, written for the St.
Albans Symphony Orchestra and David
Goode, was first performed on 5 July 2003; currently he is working on a Revelation Symphony for Chorus and Orchestra. His most ambitious work to date, Lament, for
orchestra, chorus and soloists, was commissioned by the Christ
Church Festival Orchestra and first performed in Oxford at
the Sheldonian Theatre in June 2001. Other recent compositions include a
commission from the Kingston Chamber Singers to compose for string quartet and
choir, and a song cycle for baritone, ’cello and piano settings poems by W.H.
Auden.
Jonathan is also active as a pianist and organist, with engagements
including Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 with the Welwyn
Garden City Orchestra and accompanying Swedish soprano Sara
Jonsson in works including Poulenc’s Tel Jour telle nuit at
Birmingham Cathedral. He has recently completed his doctorate in composition at
Nottingham University.
Contacts
Email jonorganist@live.co.uk
Mobile 07989 045593
Web www.jonorganist.co.uk