A very brief biography

Phil Minton, born in Torquay, UK in 1940. Both his parents were singers. He learnt trumpet from age 15 and played and sang with local jazz groups, moving to London in 63 to play with Mike Westbrook. From the mid 60's he worked in dance bands in the UK, Canary Islands and Sweden. Rejoining Westbrook in 72 he was a regular member of his Brass Band until 84, playing trumpet and singing extensively in Europe, USA and beyond. Through the last 30 years he's worked mainly as an improvising singer and sung with most of the worlds leading improvising musicians as well as been a guest singer for many composers music. He collaborated with pianist Veryan Weston on compositions such as "Songs from a Prison Diary" and is currently a member of improvising groups TooT, No Walls, 5 Men Singing, fORC, Adorno, Speeq and Axon. He also has a quartet with Veryan, John Butcher, and Roger Turner, and plays duos with these three musicians. New working duos are with singers and musicians, Isabelle Duthoit, Maggie Nicols, Audrey Chen, Terry Day, Hugh Metcalfe, Daunik Lazro and Sophie Agnel. He was a Nesta awardee in 2005 and in the last 15 years has traveled to many countries with his "Feral Choir" - a workshop and concert for all people who want to sing.

A brief biography

1940

Born Torquay 2 November.

1956-61

Learned trumpet and played in Torquay with Brian Waldron Quintet.

1962

First played trumpet and sang with Mike Westbrook Orchestra which included John Surman, Mike Osborne and Keith Row.

1964-5

Singing and playing trumpet with an English group Jonston Macphilbry in Canary Islands.

1966-70

Sweden, singing and playing trumpet with Yngve Forssells Orkester, recorded Up UMEA, with own Quartet

1971-

Rejoined Mike Westbrook touring extensively in Europe and to major festivals including Adelaide, Edinburgh, New York, Strasbourg and Berlin.

1974

Worked with experimental theatre groups eg. Welfare State and IOU.

1975

Formed vocal group VOICE with Maggie Nichols and Julie Tippets

1976

Touring with Mike Westbrook, Lions of Desire (ex h. cow)and worked with performance artists Di Davies and Ian Hinchcliffe untill...........................

1980's

With Mike Westbrook and improvising duos with Fred Frith, Roger Turner, Peter Brotzmann, Gunter Christmann's "Vario", touring extensively in Europe and to Russia, the USA and Australia.

1984-5

Sang on Konrad Boehmer's new opera "Apocalipsis Cum Figuris", toured with Lindsay Cooper's "Oh Moscow", Mike Figgis' theatre productions, solo performances, duos and trios George Lewis, Peter Brotzmann, Michel Waisvisz, Radu Malfati and Phil Wachsmann. Appeared and sang in Sally Potter's film "Gold".

1986

Worked with Moire Music, and Vocal Summit. Many guest appearances with European groups and orchestras.

1987-8

Festivals including Victoriaville, Willisaw, Vancouver, Ars Electronica Linz, Musica Strasbourg. Began collaboration with Veryan Weston. Voted best Male Singer in Europe by International Jazz Forum Magazine.

1989-90

Jointly commissioned with Veryan Weston by Le Mans Festival to compose and perform "Songs From a Prison Diary", Began work on "Naming the Animals" with Veryan Weston and Adrian Mitchell. Guest appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra and Grubenklang Orchestra.

1991

"Songs From a Prison Diary" performed at Musica'91 in Strasbourg and awarded the Cornelius Cardew Composition Prize. Performances International Sound Symposium, St Johns, Newfoundland. Goto with Ulrike Haage and FM Einheit. Trio with Radu Malfati and Phil Wachsmann. Trio with John Butcher and Erhart Hirt. Trio with Martin Blume and Marcio Mattos.

1992-3

Commissioned by Taklos Festival Switzerland to compose "Makhno" a piece for 8 Arts Council bursary for "As the River Flows to the Sea", a composition for voice, piano, percussion and reed instruments. Numerous guest appearances including Derek Bailey's Company. Guest appearances with Montreal Jubilation Choir in a composition by Klaus Konig. Recorded "Radio Inferno" by Ammer and Einheit for Bayerischer Rundfunk.

1994

Solo performances at Urals New Jazz Festival, Musik Triennale Koln, Vokal Festival Stockholm and Angelica 94 Bologna. Touring in America with Bob Ostertag's electronic piece "Say No More", Berlin Jazz Festival with Tony Oxley's Celebration Orchestra and Bill Dixon and many German, Swiss, Russian, Austrian, Swedish and Canadian radio Beginning of Feral Choir project in Stockholm, Berlin and Giving Voice Festival in Cardiff - a series of workshops and rehearsals of composition especially written for participating performers.      Continued >