PAUL GRABOWSKY
For full credits please click on the above biography download.
Paul Grabowsky is a pianist, composer and conductor. Born in Papua New Guinea in 1958, and raised in Melbourne Australia, he began classical piano lessons as a five-year-old, studying with Mack Jost from 1965-1978. He began informal studies in jazz around 1976, and devoted his energies fully to improvised music from 1978. He lived in Munich, Germany from 1980-1985, where he was active on the local and European jazz scenes, performing and/or recording with Johnny Griffin, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Benny Bailey, Guenther Klatt, Marty Cook and many others. He returned to Australia in 1986.
In 1983, he formed the Paul Grabowsky Trio, winner of two ARIA awards and still one of Australia's longest-living and most influential bands.
As a performer, he became known for his work with the 'Wizards of Oz', a group he co-lead with saxophonist Dale Barlow from 1987-1989 and Vince Jones, for whom he was musical director 1988-89. From 1990-1992 he lead the 'Groovematics', the band on the nightly national television show 'Tonight Live'.
He performs and records regularly with singers Shelley Scown, Robyn Archer, Katie Noonan and Megan Washington. Paul is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra, with which he tours both nationally and internationally. Recent AAO projects have concentrated on collaborations with traditional and contemporary indigenous performers.
He is regarded as one of Australia's foremost screen composers, working with such directors as Gillian Armstrong ('The Last Days of Chez Nous'), Paul Cox ('Innocence' and 'Human Touch'), John Irvin ('Shiner' and 'The Fine Art Of Love: Mine Ha Ha') and Fred Schepisi ('Last Orders' and 'It Runs in the Family). His television credits are numerous and include the ABC series PHOENIX and JANUS. Paul enjoyed great success with JUNGLE BOOK 2, for which he wrote the songs in collaboration with lyricist Lorraine Feather.
More recently Paul completed the score for the feature film The EYE OF THE STORM directed by Fred Schepisi, the score features world famous saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Paul's also worked with Marsalis on his most recent international album TALES OF TIME AND SPACE which was recorded in New York, and has received exceptional reviews.
His works for the theatre include the operas THE MERCENARY (1997-99) and LOVE IN THE AGE OF THERAPY was premiered in October 2002 at the Sydney Opera House and there were further 'sell out' performances in January 2003 at the Sydney Arts Festival. His music for the shadow play THE THEFT OF SITA (1999-2000) won a Helpmann award.
Paul produced and presented the television series ACCESS ALL AREAS in 1996, and was Commissioning Editor for ABC Television Arts and Entertainment 1996-1998. In 2005 Paul was appointed Artistic Director for the Queensland Music Festival 2007. In 2008, the Adelaide Festival of Arts appointed Paul as the Artistic Director for the 2010 Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, its 50th anniversary year, he will continue his role for the festival in 2012.
FILM CREDITS
The Eye of the Storm
Swerve
Matching Jack
Like A Dream
Salvation
Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst
Somebodies
The Fine Art Of Love: Mine Ha Ha
Letters to Ali
Human Touch
It Runs in the Family
The Jungle Book 2
Nijinsky: The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky
Last Orders
Shiner
Innocence
Siam Sunset
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien
Lust and Revenge
Mushrooms
Paperback Romance
The Good Looker
Exile
The Last Days Of Chez Nous
A Woman's Tale
Georgia
The Bit Part
Wills & Burke
TELEVISION
Empire Falls - HBO
Jessica - Screentime Television
Noah's Ark - TV Mini Series - USA
The Bite - TV Mini series ABC/BBC
Access All Areas - Co-Producer Writer and Presenter ABC TV
Tonight Live - Variety Show
Fast Forward - Comedy Series
Seven Deadly Sins - Mini series
Lift-Off - 26 part Children's Series
Phoenix - 13 part drama series
Police Crop - Documentary drama
Cassidy - Four part mini-series
COMMERCIAL RECORDINGS
Before Time Could Change Us - Paul Grabowsky & Katie Noonan
Tales of Time and Space - Paul Grabowsky, Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis
Sita - Sita Band - AAO
'Theft of Sita' - Performances around the UK
Three - Paul Grabowsky Trio - Origin
Into the Fire - Australian Art Orchestra - ABC/Universal
Passion - Australian Art Orchestra - ABC/Universal
Keep Up Your Standards - Paul Grabowsky and Robyn Archer - Larrikin
Angel - Paul Grabowsky Trio and Shelly Scown - Origin
When Words Fail - Paul Grabowsky Trio - Origin 1996 - ARIA Award
Ringing the Bell Backwards - Australian Art Orchestra - Origin
Viva Viva - Paul Grabowsky - East West
Phoenix - Paul Grabowsky - ABC Music