PAUL GRIFFITHS

Paul Griffiths is an internationally renowned music educationalist, project leader, composer and performer. His musical roots lie in jazz, rock and funk but through his work he has developed a unique artistic voice and flexible workshop style that transcends musical, social, cultural and age barriers. His work is underpinned by a commitment to providing high quality musical access to all and a profound understanding of the impact that creative arts work can have upon individuals and communities. He has over twenty five years’ experience working in music, cross arts and trans-cultural projects in the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. These have been conducted in conservatoires and music schools, arts centres and concert halls, primary and secondary schools, special needs schools, prisons and a multitude of diverse community settings. He works extensively in the field of training and professional development for musicians, artists, workshop leaders and teachers.

Paul successfully completed postgraduate studies on the Performance and Communication Skills course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama (GSMD) in 1988. Since then he has worked with the majority of the preeminent London and UK based Symphony and Chamber Orchestras (LSO, LPO, RPO, BBC SO, Halle, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, CLS, NYO), Contemporary Music Ensembles (London Sinfonietta), Opera Companies (ENO, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House), Arts Centres (South Bank Centre, Barbican, Sage Gateshead, Snape Maltings), Conservatoires (Guildhall, RCM, RNCM, Trinity) and International Festivals (BBC Proms, Huddersfield, Bath, Cheltenham, Lincoln, Lichfield, Dartington, London Jazz Festival, Salzburg, Abu Dhabi).

He began teaching at the GSMD in 1989 at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and was a cornerstone figure within the acclaimed GSMD-Barbican ‘Connect’ project. This Department was the recipient of the ‘Queens Award for Services to Higher Education’ in 2006. He is currently a tutor on the GSMD Masters in Leadership, undergraduate modules and Continuing Professional Development Courses. Paul is also a tutor at the Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Konservatoriet for Music and Formidling in Esbjerg, Denmark, ArtEZ conservatoire in Holland and the Artesis Hogeschool in Antwerp, Belgium. He has long standing training and leading relationships with the Casa Da Musica Ensemble course in Porto, Portugal and with the Remix Ensembles of the Royal Flemish Orchestra in Antwerp.

In association with the British Council and other international organisations, he has led music projects in Croatia, Cyprus, Tanzania, Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Palestine, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Paul is a highly skilled educational collaborator and has worked in partnership with a wide range of UK and international artists and ensembles from a broad cross section of music including Mark Anthony Turnage, Tan Dun, the Alim Qasimov Ensemble, Robert Glasper, Gretchen Parlato, Nitin Sawnhey, Jerry Dammers, Viktoria Mulova, Julian Joseph, Denys Baptiste, Shabaka Hutchings, Christian Lindberg, Tunde Jegede, Ensemble Moderne, Steve Martland, Jef Neve and the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra.