JENKINS Karl

Biography

(17.02.1944, Penclawdd, Wales, UK) – composer.

1963-1966 – student of Music Faculty at Cardiff University. 1966-1967 – postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the beginning of his career, he was known as a jazz and jazz-rock musician of the Graham Collier group, one of the founders of the “Nucleus” group, with which in 1970 he won the I Prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland).

1972-1984 – worked as part of the rock band “Soft Machine”, was awarded the “British Jazz Album of the Year” award of “Melody Maker” magazine (1973). As a composer he became known after the projects “Adiemus” (1995) and “The Armed Man” (2000), which played a decisive role in his creative work: multiculturalism and the use of local, ethnic texts and instruments in a context with Latin text and Western orchestral traditions. The most famous work by Jenkins – “The Mass of Peace. Armed Man” for soloists, choir and orchestra (1999). He is the owner of 17 “Gold” and “Platinum” discs, is one of the most performed composers of our time. During his career he has made recordings with Elton John, George Harrison and Andrew Lloyd Webber, composed music for a number of films, advertising soundtracks, which were awarded the international awards.

K. Jenkins was awarded honorary doctorate in music, as well as the honorary professorship at five Universities and Conservatories around the world, including the Royal Academy of Music in London, where a concert hall is named in his honor. He has released albums on all major classical labels and is an artist of “Decca Records”, is regularly performing with leading UK orchestras. His music has been performed in such halls as: Royal Albert Hall and Buckingham Palace (London), Zaryad’ye Concert Hall (Moscow), Carnegie Hall (New York), Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), National Center for performing arts (Mumbai).

He is the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2010), in June 2015 he was made a Knight Bachelor by the Queen of Great Britain.

Co-author of the musical score and arrangement of music for the ballets “Zhusan” (2014),

“The Language of Love” (2016) of the “Astana Ballet” Theater (choreography by M. Avakhri), and a number of choreographic miniatures.

Links

• http://www.karljenkins.com/