| B I O G R A P H Y | Jim (James) Franklin | 
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Born in Sydney in 1959, Dr. Jim Franklin holds the degrees of Bachelor of Music (with Honours) and Master of Music from the University of Sydney, and a Ph.D. He has studied with Peter Sculthorpe, Milko Keleman and Ton de Leeuw. Franklin has himself taught at the University of Sydney, and at the University of Western Sydney's Nepean Campus. He is also a performer on shakuhachi. Franklin
has received a number of awards for his compositions, including
the Makinson Prize in 1980, the 1981 Donald Peart Memorial Award,
and the Young Composers' Orchestral Award in 1982. In 1990 his score
for the multi-media piece Japanischer Garten received the
award for Best Original Soundtrack at the 4th Munich International
Multi-Media Festival. The entire work was awarded first prize in
the art/entertainment category, and was selected to represent Europe
at the International Multi-Media Festival in Dallas, USA in 1991.
Franklin has been the recipient of commissions from such performers
and groups as Riley Lee, Chin Kham Yoke, Ulrike Flaig, Human Veins
Dance Theatre, Kinetic Energy Performing Arts, and Southern Crossings.
He now divides his time between Australia and Europe. |
Dr.
Jim Franklin, born in Australia, started playing piano at the age
of 9; later, he studied classical Western music at the University
of Sydney and trained as a composer. He lived in Europe for several
years, where he became involved with electronic music as well as
acoustic composition. On returning to Australia, he met shakuhachi
grand master Riley Lee, and in 1988, Lee and Franklin recorded a
first album together; the start of a series of fruitful collaborations,
including recordings, commissioned compositions, and concerts. Following
this, Franklin decided to learn shakuhachi himself, and commenced
studying with Lee. In 1996, Franklin continued his shakuhachi studies
with Katsuya Yokoyama, and in December 1996, received the title
of Shihan from him.