ABOUT
Johnny Parry is a composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer whose work spans the intimate and the cinematic, the delicate and the grand. From early experimental songwriting to vast orchestral works, his music is deeply personal yet endlessly expansive, embracing both raw emotion and intricate composition. He has arranged and produced for countless recording artists, and has also composed for film, theatre, and interdisciplinary art projects, bringing a distinctive voice to visual storytelling.
His first album, Break Your Little Heart (2004), recorded in Canada, blended classical-inspired melodies with indie pop storytelling, establishing his signature haunting, immersive style. Songs Without A Purpose (2007) expanded his sound into darker, more brooding territory, incorporating synchronized visuals for an immersive experience. His next release, Little Prayers 1-8 (2008), distilled grand orchestration into something more intimate.
By 2009, his work had grown into something even more ambitious. More Love & Death explored love and mortality with orchestral grandeur, his low, growling vocals contrasted against operatic soprano, strings, brass, and choir. The album’s Union Chapel launch saw the birth of the Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra, which has since performed across the UK and Europe. In 2012, he revisited the material, reshaping it into Fields & Birds & Things, a transformation that blurred the line between reinterpretation and entirely new creation.
In 2014, Johnny founded the Bedford Arts Choir and embarked on An Anthology of All Things, commissioned by Bedford Creative Arts. Weaving together personal stories from the public, the piece explored themes of love, death, and the everyday. Performed by the Johnny Parry Chamber Orchestra and Bedford Arts Choir, it received high praise, with Monocle calling it “The most beautiful piece of music you will hear all year.”
The Guardian listed it among the Top 10 Classical Albums of the Year, and in 2017, a 240-strong performance in Bremen, Germany, featuring the Bremen Symphony Orchestra and Choir, brought the work to an even grander scale.
Collaboration & Film Work
As a sought-after arranger and producer, Johnny brings depth and sensitivity to projects across multiple disciplines. His home studio, Wolfy Studios, has become a creative hub for artists seeking to push musical boundaries.
His work in film scoring includes composing for Oreet Ashery’s Revisiting Genesis (2019), which won the Jarman Award. His music also featured in Family Action’s Monsters campaign (2019), celebrating the charity’s 150th anniversary. Spearheaded by Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, the campaign used Johnny’s score to highlight the emotional struggles of families in crisis. He has also repeatedly collaborated with renowned international artist Andy Holden, creating music for multimedia and performance art projects.
Johnny continues to work with a diverse selection of artists and projects. Notably upcoming is the Glass Graduate Symphony, a joint composition with David M. Allen (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Neneh Cherry). The symphony is a bold, four-movement work inspired by Marcel Proust, blending vintage synths, drum machines, and symphonic classical orchestration. The work is currently being mixed by Dave Lynch (The Magic Numbers, Billy Bragg, Natalie Imbruglia).
Critical Acclaim
“A great advert for the power of music to unite, entertain and communicate… an utter triumph.” — Listen With Monger
“Complex, cinematic music that builds intricate landscapes of sound… Compelling… Intoxicating… an unusual delight.” — MOJO
“Johnny Parry vaults his way from being just another singer-songwriter to something more akin to the UK’s equivalent of Sufjan Stevens.” — The Independent
“What he pulled off last night was a logistical and musical miracle.” ★★★★★ — The Arts Desk
“Absolutely Dazzling.” — Clash Magazine
“A richly rewarding listening experience, an incredible achievement of such complexity and planning… In short. Divine.” — God is in the TV
“More Love & Death is genius, one that builds off trauma and bad choices, blending moody echoes of his heroes into brutally honest art.” — Music Emissions
“For once that most ill-fitting cliché ‘widescreen’ might just be appropriate.” — Word Magazine