John Charles

Born in Wellington in 1940, New Zealand composer John Charles began as an arts degree student at Victoria University of Wellington at 18, but at the same time played regularly with the University Jazz Club. After one year's arts studies, he left to pursue a career as journalist at the local Evening Post, then joined NZBS Television in 1961 as a Programme Officer. Returning to university, he began to study music seriously, and graduated with a BMus in 1966.

After a spell with the NZ Government Tourist and Publicity Information Section, he moved to Australia in 1974 to join the ABC-TV Music Department in Sydney. Scoring films in both Australia and New Zealand, his most acclaimed symphonic score was The Quiet Earth (1985) from which he adapted his suite Sunrise for Orchestra. After 1985 John Charles worked as a freelance composer, arranger, pianist and TV director based in Sydney, then in 1996 was appointed Composer in Residence at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.