Biography

Joel Garthwaite graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2006 studied for his Masters degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under with John Harle & Christian Forshaw with the aid of EMI’s Music Sound Foundation.

Joel's current performance work is centered on his work with the award winning Lunar Saxophone Quartet, pioneering jazz pianist Dave Stapleton and his collaboration with percussionist Dave Danford, who he has developed a set of original repertoire for saxophone and percussion by living composers with.

Over the last five years Joel has performed to distinguished names such as Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Richard Attenborough and HM The Queen at venues including The Warehouse (Waterloo), The Barbican Centre, Wales Millennium Centre, The Faenol Festival and St. David’s Hall.

Strongly committed to introducing new repertoire to the pre-existing list of saxophone music, Joel has commissioned over 10 new pieces with the Lunar Saxophone Quartet since their formation in 2003 culminating with the album ‘FLUX’ being released in Spring 2009 and ’Catching Sunlight’ with jazz pianist Dave Stapleton which was released in October 2008. In 2007 the LSQ launched the first ‘LSQ New Music Competition’, a new initiative to support new music by young composers. The winner of the first competition James Williamson had his piece included in the Quartet’s repertoire list for 2008, recorded on their latest album 'FLUX' and published by Staunch Music.

In August 2007 Joel launched Staunch Music. The idea of the record label/publishing company was to allow the Lunar Saxophone Quartet to publish, record and release their commissions without the confines and pressures of larger record labels. Staunch Music allows the LSQ to have complete control over their music whilst acting as a vehicle to promote and publicise other artists and composers associated with the group. The ethos of Staunch Music is strongly based on delivering high quality products to our customers and making contemporary music more accessible to British audiences. www.staunchmusic.com

Joel is also in demand as an educator of the saxophone and currently holds teaching positions at Hampton School; Lyndhurst School, London and Norton Rose, London.