John Charles

Born in the picturesque city of Wellington, New Zealand in the year 1940, John Charles embarked on an arts degree at Victoria University of Wellington at the tender age of 18. Concurrently, he honed his musical skills by regularly performing with the esteemed University Jazz Club. After completing one year of arts studies, John decided to pursue a career in journalism, joining the local Evening Post. However, his passion for music soon led him to rejoin NZBS Television in 1961 as a Programme Officer. Returning to his academic pursuits, John began to study music with renewed dedication, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Music (BMus) in 1966. Following a stint with the NZ Government Tourist and Publicity Information Section, John relocated to Australia in 1974 to join the ABC-TV Music Department in Sydney. As his career flourished, John's talents extended to scoring films in both Australia and New Zealand, with his most acclaimed symphonic score being The Quiet Earth (1985). This iconic score inspired him to adapt his suite Sunrise for Orchestra, a testament to his artistic versatility. Thereafter, John worked as a freelance composer, arranger, pianist, and TV director, based in Sydney before being appointed Composer in Residence at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in 1996.