John Harmon, Composer

John Harmon is an active, free-lance composer of orchestral, wind
ensemble, chamber, choral, and jazz music. He also maintains a busy
performance and recording schedule as well as a roster of private
students in his studio. He has taught evolution of jazz, composition,
arranging, music appreciation and improvisation at the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh and at Lawrence University, Appleton, WI.

A native of Oshkosh and a graduate of Lawrence University, he studied
with Belgian composer, Henri Pousseur, at the State University of New
York in Buffalo and was a private student of world-renowned jazz
pianist, Oscar Peterson.

Harmon formed the group Matrix in the 1970's and performed with them
until 1981. Since then he has been teaching, performing, composing and
serving as a guest clinician around the country. He has been a
composer-in-residence in numerous school systems in Wisconsin,
California, Massachusetts, Ohio and Michigan. His more than 160
published compositions for chorus, band , brass chamber groups and jazz
ensemble are available from six different publishers.

He has also earned prestigious recognition: the Jazziz award (1998),
the Renaissance Award (Lawrence University, 1999), the Distinguished
Service Award from WSMA (Wisconsin State Music Association) and
Wisconsin Artist Fellowship (both 2001), an honorary doctorate degree
from Lawrence University and the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts,
and Letters Fellowship (both 2005), and in 2006, the Distinguished
Service Award from IAJE  (International Association of Jazz Educators).

As a composer, he has received more than 100 commissions for a variety
of ensembles ranging from solo instrument to full orchestra with
concert choir. His most recent full-length composition for vocalist and
jazz pianist is a jazz opera in two acts entitled ³Ava.²