Archie John is an award-winning composer and conductor from the UK. He writes acoustic and electronic music exploring themes of intimacy, exuberance, and the visual arts, often inspired by different spiritual traditions from around the world.
His music has been performed in the UK, US and Europe, in venues such as Wigmore Hall, The Barbican Centre,Kings Place, Joseph Joachim Hall (Berlin), DiMenna Arts Centre (New York) and The Conway Hall alongside numerous art galleries (Palant House, The Courtauld) and festivals (Dartington,Ludlow English Song Festival, Penarth Chamber Music Festival). With a particular interest in writing for voice, Archie combines elements of electronic music with dramatic and direct expression to create music of sublime stillness and sudden movement.
He has written for a variety of soloists and ensembles including The Riot Ensemble, London Sinfonietta, CHROMA, Harriet McKenzie, Alice Neary, Ian Tindale, and Iain Burnside, alongside close collaborators including Fiveby5 trumpets, Ester Stalberg, Lumas Winds, and the choreographer George Liang.
His music has been released on October House Records, recorded for BBC Radio 3,and he is a London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) SoundHub Associate.
As a conductor, he specialises in contemporary music having given premieres of a wide variety of pieces, including Toby Anderson’s Opera SATYRS and Owen Spafford’s folk opera In Comes I. He is founder and director of the COLOSSUS COLLECTIVE.
Archie studied at Cardiff University with Robert Fokkens and The Royal Academy of Music with Edmund Finnis and Hans Abrahamsen.
Other mentors/teachers include; Aaron Holloway-Nahum and Mark Eager for conducting, and Ryan Wigglesworth, Eleanor Alberga, Brett Dean, Helen Grime and Joe Cutler for composition. He is currently The Manson Fellow of Composition at the Academy.
Archie John 