The James Whale Orchestra
LIVE MUSIC. LOVE MOVIES.
Live music with movies is what the JWO does. Whether it be with our own specially composed and syncronized soundtracks, or iconic soundtracks by great composers like Bernard Herrmann and Max Steiner, we turn a great movie into an unforgettable experience. Our audiences have repeatedly told us that we create a uniquely immersive movie experience. We have carefully tailored productions for almost and venue and budget, from full orchestra to productions with as few as 2 players combined with an orchestra of samples. Whereas before you needed to go into a concert hall to enjoy a symphony orchestra playing a big soundtrack in front of a movie, the JWO can do it anywhere that there is a screen and a sound system. Our unique concept makes live film music accessible to everyone, everywhere, for the price of a cinema ticket.
The James Whale Orchestra is Oliver Parr (Artistic Director, Composer) Panyiotis Ioannou (Music Producer, ) and Thomas Geerts (Music Producer, Composer, Conductor)
Oliver Parr was born in the U.K. and studied cello in Manchester with Eduardo Vassallo, in Paris with Radu Aldulescu and at the Musikhochschule Detmold with Karine Georgian.Since 2000 Oliver has been the solocellist of the Remix Ensemble Casa da Musica with whom he has performed at most of Europe’s major festivals and concert venues, including Wien Modern, Milano Settembre, Berlin Marz Muziek, Strasbourg Musica and Donaueschingen. He has worked and collaborated with many leading artistic figures including Heinz Holliger, Sir Harrison Birtwhistle, Jonathan Harvey, Magnus Lindberg, Peter Eotvos and Luca Francesconi.
Oliver is also currently solo cellist of the Sinfonia Rotterdam chamber orchestra, and has appeared as solo cellist with ASKO Schoenberg, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Holland Symfonia, Het Ballet Orkest, Postland and Insomnio Ensembles.
As a composer Oliver has written for orchestra, ensemble, quartet, and solo instruments, and is the founder and artistic leader of theJames Whale Orchestra, for whom he has composed original soundtracks to be performed live with films including James Whale’s ‘Frankenstein’ and F.W. Murnau’s ‘City Girl’.
His live score for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1929 ‘Blackmail’, created for the Postland Ensemble, received its premiere at the Leiden International Film Festival 2022 to great acclaim, and has since been performed at more than twenty venues throughout the Netherlands. In 2023 the production will travel abroad to festivals in Portugal. Oliver is currently developing a recreation of Max Steiner’s score to The Most Dangerous Game (1932).
Panayiotis Ioannou was first introduced to the world of digital music whilst studying computer science in Los Angeles, where he began working as a DJ at various local venues. Pursuing his creative interests he began studying music production and mixing at Point Blank electronic music school.
Since starting his own music production company in 2003 he has worked with clients such as Mercedes, Xerox, Toyota and Huawei, and has produced a number of tunes and sound effects for adverstising and promotion.
In 2018 Panayiotis joined the James Whale Orchestra as a music and sound producer He creates high tech virtual instruments which are combined with live players, making the JWO the most flexible live film orchestra there is.
Thomas Geerts is the newest addition to the JWO.