Jonathan Besser

A founding member of electronic group Free Radicals, Jonathan Besser composed for opera, ballet, theatre (Red Mole) and performance ensemble Bravura. Born in New York but New Zealand-based from 1974, Besser began adding screen compositions to his CV in the 90s. He composed extensively for documentary maker Shirley Horrocks, was award-nominated for 1995 feature War Stories, and won a TV Guide Television Award for documentary A Cat Among the Pigeons. In 2015, he began composing for World War One documentary series, Great War Stories. Besser died on 9 February 2022, shortly before the publication of his autobiography. 

I’ve used Jonathan’s music for a number of documentaries because I really like his eclectic approach. He understands what’s needed for a particular sequence, and at the same time he adds a composer’s unique touch. Director Shirley Horrocks