I'm a composer piano music, with two solo albums published by BMG!
My pieces have been used on TV trailers such as Poirot, Lewis, Acer Laptop, Paralympic Games.
Grab me on Instagram @jamesreynoldscomposer
Butterfly, Life in Slow Motion and Maze are some pieces you might have heard.
Enjoy!

Holy Smoke is the new religion podcast from The Spectator, hosted by Damian Thompson.

The Savoy Hotel's 11-piece resident orchestra authentically performing and recording dance music from the 1920s and 30s.

Following in the footsteps of Carroll Gibbons and his legendary Savoy Orpheans, the young Alex Mendham & His Orchestra have taken up the baton as resident dance orchestra for the Savoy Hotel.

Formed under the youthful direction of Alex Mendham, the 11-piece Orchestra authentically performs and records period dance band music from the Art Deco era but with a modern energy and unmatched sophistication.

The passion the Orchestra has for this music is what keeps them together. No corner is cut when it comes to preserving the music: from their vintage instruments to the pomade that slicks their hair, no detail is overlooked. Add to that their youthful enthusiasm and you have a unique combination that is wowing their growing band of followers.

From its formation, the Orchestra has maintained an active working schedule: from entertaining patrons of The Dover Street Arts Club and audiences at the Royal Festival Hall, to the world famous Tower Ballroom in Blackpool; coupled with regular live broadcasts on BBC Radio.

And, following a highly successful New Year’s Eve Ball, they have just embarked on a residency at the Savoy Hotel; (they are also booked for the 2013 Ball). With this, they are following in the footsteps of such hallowed 1920s and 30s dance band names as the Savoy Havana Band and Savoy Orpheans.

You can dance to them, you can party, you can just sit back and listen. Catch them now!

No one could have imagined at that time what to expect - like Xavier de Maistre himself, when he decided to change the face of the harp 16 years ago. Today he plays pieces like "Moldau" by Smetana in breathtaking precision and presents masterful pieces of music that are usually played by an entire orchestra.

Meanwhile, a worldwide audience listens to his virtuosity and enjoys the unprecedented sounds. Pieces, that no harpist played before, or even thought about - like the Haydn piano concertos. Not only that makes him one of the most extraordinary musicians, even masters of this time.

Xavier de Maistre began to study harp with 9 years. Like many other famous musicians, all started with love - but in this case not as expected the love to his harp. It was rather the love for his former teacher, who offered extra harp lessons. Early, it turned out that Xavier has a great talent and no wonder he started with 25 years to play for the Vienna Philharmonic. Before that he played 3 years for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and in 1998 Xavier won the first prize of the "USA International Harp Competition“, the major harp competitions in the world. But since Xavier´s family is not from a traditional harp-playing dynasty they put great importance to a solid education. So Xavier started his study of politics at the „Institut des Sciences Politiques“ in Paris and spent 1 year in London at the „London School of Economics ", when he finally decided to prefer music to the political studies. For a musician, he achieved very early what all harpists dream of – a position in one of the best orchestras in the world, the Vienna Philharmonic.

However Xavier de Maistre was about to go on. To see this point as the highlight of the career, which would definitely be a great honor for most of the harpists, and aslo for Xavier, but it was also a kind of sad moment. He achieved the ultimate goal of a harpist at age 25. Through his countless appearances and his keen ambition he has always wants to refute the long-existing bias of the harp - played in the background by angel-like women. Thanks to his his quick anticipation, intelligence and tremendous skill, he has played many pieces as a soloist with the harp and delighted thousands of listeners. Finally, he succeeds to establish the harp as an independent instrument. During his career, many great conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Andre Previn, and Daniele Gatti became curious on him and his passion and asked him to play with them. A long series of concerts follows, convincing the audience that Xavier de Maistre is undoubtedly the master of his instrument. Not for nothing, beside famous conductors, also the most successful singers like Barbara Bonney, Kathleen Battle and Diana Damrau played with him. Likewise, of course, the long list of world-renowned opera houses which he had already visited: Theatre des Champs Elysees Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna, Tokyo Opera City, Lincoln Center New York, Salzburg Festival, La Scala Milan and many others.

No wonder, Xavier´s enthusiasm and his gift to play will not put an end to this success story. Awarded with the Echo Klassik Award 2009 for his album "Nuit d'Etoiles" as "Instrumentalist of the Year" (Sony Music) he reaps the fruits of his labor.

For more than 9 years Xavier de Maistre is working as a professor at the Musikhochschule Hamburg and now also teaches at the Julliard School in New York, at the Toho University in Tokyo and in London at Trinity College. After 11 years with the Vienna Philharmonic Xavier leaves his position in order to devote himself to his international solo career - a step that no harpist has done before.

Charles FM Wright is following