John Harmon

John Harmon, whose professional life has deeply been involved with both music and teaching, may be one of America’s most prolific composers. Born in 1935 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Harmon began playing piano at a young age. Graduating with composition degrees from Lawrence University and the State University of New York, he studied with Belgian composer Henri Pousseur and jazz pianist Oscar Peterson before creating a voice which is uniquely his. The influence of jazz is present in most of Harmon’s compositions regardless of the ensemble or performer. Titles of pieces often reflect his love of the outdoors, Native American folklore, and twentieth century literature. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Foundation of New American Music on behalf of the Orchestra of Los Angeles, the Fox Valley Symphony and the Santa Fe Chamber Orchestra have all commissioned new works by Harmon. Although Harmon has traveled and performed extensively, the majority of his life’s work has taken place in his native state of Wisconsin. He founded the jazz studies program at Lawrence University in 1971 and served as co-founder of the revolutionary jazz-fusion group Matrix. For his many accomplishments and a lifelong commitment to music, Harmon was made a Fellow of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in 2005.