Biographical Info

After studies at the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London, Paul Harris has now established an international reputation as one of the UK’s leading educationalists.

He studied the clarinet with Professor John Davies, winning the August Manns Prize for outstanding performance, composition with Timothy Baxter and conducting with Maurice Miles. He then went on to study music education at the University of London where he was a pupil of Professor Keith Swanwick.

He now has over six hundred publications to his name dealing with a vast array of subjects within the sphere of music education. His Music Teacher’s Companion (co-written with Richard Crozier), won the UK’s MIA Best New Book award and his series ‘Improve Your Theory!’ the Music Teacher Best Print Resource Award. In addition he has written many works ranging from countless short education pieces to seven concertos, a ballet and a children’s opera. He has also co-authored (with Anthony Meredith) major new biographies of Sir Malcolm Arnold, (Malcolm Arnold: Rogue Genius), Malcolm Williamson, (Malcolm Williamson: Mischievous Muse) and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

He writes regularly for many of the major international music magazines, including Music Teacher, BBC Music Magazine, the ABRSM’s Libretto, and the American ICA journal, Piano Professional, ESTA Journal, and is in great demand as a workshop and seminar leader and adjudicator in the UK, and across the globe. Paul has also undertaken research into specialist music education for the highly talented (the clarinet prodigy Julian Bliss number among his pupils), an interest that has taken him to many musical institutions around the world.

Paul performs regularly, often in his quartet for voice, two clarinets and piano with Kathryn Knight, Jean Cockburn and Bethany Philips.

He is an examiner and adjudicator and is frequently asked to adjudicate in national events including the Chamber Music for Schools Competition, Music for Youth, the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and Classic FM’s teacher of the year. In 2006, Paul’s commitment to the music of Malcolm Arnold led to the creation of an annual Malcolm Arnold Festival in the composer’s hometown of Northampton. Under his directorship, this exciting festival explores and celebrates the music of one of the great British composers of our age in a packed weekend of concerts, lectures and films.

Paul has created and and continues to develop Simultaneous Learning. This highly acclaimed approach to instrumental and singing teaching has found support all over the world. Paul’s innovative teaching techniques combine thoroughness, imagination and practicality, the defining qualities of his outstandingly successful work.

On the summer school Paul will be teaching sight-reading, aural and some musical analysis.