Jonathan Besser

A founding member of early electronic group Free Radicals, Jonathan Besser has composed for opera, ballet, theatre (Red Mole) and performance ensemble Bravura. Born in New York but New Zealand-based since 1974, Besser began adding screen compositions to his CV in the 90s. Since then he has composed extensively for documentary maker Shirley Horrocks, been award-nominated for 1995 documentary feature War Stories, and won a TV Guide Television Award for documentary A Cat Among the Pigeons. In 2015, Besser began composing for 3 News' World War One short documentary series, Great War Stories. 

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