Born in Cape Town in 1961, Paul Hanmer began classical piano and theory lessons in 1970. After two years at the University of Cape Town studying for a B.Mus degree, Hanmer left to work with guitarist Paul Petersen, spending the next six years in various ‘top-40’ bands. In 1987 Hanmer moved to Johannesburg where he was influenced by bands such as Sakhile and Bayete.
 
In Johannesburg, Hanmer formed “Unofficial Language” with Ian Herman (percussion and drums) and Peter Sklair (electric bass). The trio recorded ‘primal steps’ in 1994, featuring Sklair’s song “Tender Mercies”, and a second album, “move moves” in 1996.
 
Hanmer has recorded with Tananas, Miriam Makeba, Ray Phiri, McCoy Mrubata and Pops Mohamed and formed part of Tony Cox’s ‘Cool Friction Band’ in 1996. In 1999 he performed and recorded with Sheer All Stars and produced Gloria Bosman’s debut album “Tranquillity”
 
Sheer Sound released Hanmer’s first album as a leader, Trains to Taung, in 1997. The album features Denis Lalouette, Jethro Shasha, Louis Mhlanga, Basi Mahlasela, Neil Ettridge and Andre Abrahamse. Since then he has recorded five more albums, Window to Elsewhere (1998), Playola (2000), Naivasha (2002), Water and Lights (2005) and Accused No 1: Nelson Mandela (2006). A duo album featuring Hanmer with McCoy Mrubata entitled “The Boswil Concert” was released in June 2011.
 
Hanmer has written a string quartet for the Sontonga Quartet and a clarinet quintet for Robert Pickup, principal clarinettist with the Zurich Opera. In addition he has composed a suite of duets for double bass and cello for Leon Bosch of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, completed three pieces for two tubas and accompanying instruments for Anne Jelle Visser of the Zurich Opera and Sérgio Carolino, principal tuba with the Oporto National Orchestra, and written two duets for violin and harp commissioned by Marc Uys.
 
Hanmer’s list of SAMRO commissions include “Elegy: 24 Maraisburg” for cello and piano, written especially for UNISA’s 2010 International String Competition, “Zimnastics for Gentlefolk” for viola and piano and “Yet Another Look” for violin and piano. In addition, he wrote “Trackways”, an orchestral song-setting of texts by Nils Aslak Valkeapää, for Gothenburg-based singer Eva Rune.
 
Hanmer recently completed “The Pilgrim”, a commission from Anne Jelle Visser for 2 tubas, piano and two percussionists and a piece for 2 tubas and 9 trombones entitled “The Breakfast Song” requested by Sérgio Carolino.
 
In February 2011, Hanmer’s clarinet quintet was performed in South Africa by Robert Pickup and the casalQuartet and his “Elegy: 24 Maraisburg” formed part of visiting Russian cellist Georgi Anichenko’s repertoire.
 
Pickup and cellist Peter Martens also premiered a new commission named “The Game Reserve Effect” in Cape Town in February 2011
 
Hanmer recently completed an orchestral commission from Miagi called “Halogram” to commemorate his 50th birthday, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s death.
 
In August and September 2011 Frank Mallows (vibraphone) and Magda de Vries (marimba) performed several concerts featuring a new commission for their duo entitled “Victoria-West”.
 
Occupying him at various points during 2011 and 2012 were several large-scale arrangements for chamber orchestra & rhythm section commissioned by Emmanuel Getaz for the “Viramundo” project – a documentary film and sound recording venture- as well as ‘live’ performances at the Market Theatre, Jhb (May 2011) and the Montreux Jazz Festival (July 2012) featuring Gilberto Gil with special guest Vusi Mahlasela, bassist Peter Sklair, the MIAGI Youth Orchestra, the Sinfonietta de Lausanne, etc.
 
Hanmer was selected as composer-in-residence for the 2012 Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, for which he composed a fantasy for flute and strings – Nightjar Breaks – as well as a triple concerto – Nachtroep – for trumpet/flugelhorn, violin, piano and strings.
 
Hanmer was also appointed conductor of the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band for 2012, which involved performances at the Grahamstown Arts Festival, the Joy of Jazz Festival, and 2 weeks of performances & workshops with young musicians in Sweden during September and October 2012.
 
He completed a single-movement work for large orchestra – Manga Manga-ung – in January 2013 and 7 Winter Episodes – a concerto for solo basset-horn and orchestra- in October 2013. The latter was commissioned by the Stiftung Künstlerhaus Boswil for the 2014 Winter Tour of the Youth Symphony orchestra of Aargau – with soloist Robert Pickup, conducted by Hugo Bollschweiler.
 
In addition, Hanmer completed a short work for horn and percussion duo – Die Dans Vannie Flaamse Flamma-Fink, commissioned by Katryn van Bergen (Oct 2013).
 
He continues to perform as often as he can with long-term collaborator McCoy Mrubata ) and recently performed with Mrubata and Carlo Mombelli in separate ‘cinema improvisando’ appearances at The Bioscope, providing improvised soundtracks to silent movies in an ongoing project devised by the artistic director of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, Florian Uhlig.
 
Hanmer is spending more of his time writing music, often to commission. Most recently, he has been putting the finishing touches to a new quintet requested by Leon Bosch, which has been supported by a commission from SAMRO.
 
He hopes to record further projects with a ‘live’ improvisation outfit; vocalists Khanya Ceza and Eva Rune; Ian Herman and Peter Sklair of ‘unofficial language’; and McCoy Mrubata.
 

He continues to enjoy performing on acoustic piano, accompanied by other acoustic instruments, whenever he gets the opportunity.

Justin Bischof is the Director of Music at The Church of St. James the Less, Artistic Director of The Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City CCO/NYC and of the NYC-based Modus Opera Company. In addition to his growing presence in and around New York City with these ensembles, past seasons have seen him work with orchestras in the US, Canada, Europe, Russia and Australia. Recent highlights have included performances with members of The New Mexico Symphony, the Ottawa National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony, the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and the State Philharmonic in Kavkazskiye Mineralnye Vody in the opening of their prestigious summer festival on the occasion of his Russian debut. This program included the Russian premiere of Samuel Barber’s First Essay as well as the Russian/European premiere of Jim Stephenson’s American Fanfare. In 2008, he led the Australian premiere of Robert Ward’s Pulitzer Prize winning The Crucible in a run of fully staged performances with orchestra at the WAAPA, nationally publicized as a milestone in the Australian operatic scene. Additional important opera premieres include the Hawaiian premiere of Menotti’s The Medium and The Telephone, working with members of The Honolulu Symphony and Hawaii Opera Theatre. As well, he conducted the World Premiere of Ager’s Concerto for Organ and Orchestra with members of the New Mexico Symphony in Albuquerque. As Artistic Director and Founder of CCO/NYC, a group founded to promote Canadian artistry in NYC, he has infused his passion for helping others through music. Since 2007, each of CCO/NYC’s season has culminated in their annual ‘Transforming the Lives of Children through Music’ Children’s Benefit, netting over $400,000, which has enabled over 425 at risk children to attend a life-altering summer camp over the past 7 years. As Artistic Director & Founder of The Modus Opera Company, he has conducted several staged productions including Mozart’s Cosi fan tutti, Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro. Modus also has a concert series at such venues as CAMI Hall and Le Poisson Rouge featuring both up and coming and internationally acclaimed singers.
 
He received his Doctorate in Organ from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music where he later served on their Theory and Keyboard Skills faculty. He currently is a member of their Alumni Council. He has performed with numerous orchestras including The Zurich Symphony Orchestra, The Milwaukee Symphony, The Arkansas Symphony, and with members of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in venues such as Carnegie Hall and The Tonhalle in Zurich. His highly praised performance of Samuel Barber’s rarely performed Toccata Festiva with the Zurich Symphony Orchestra at the Tonhalle, Zurich, was a season highlight.

He was a featured soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Andreas Delfs in the world premiere of The Revelation of St. John by Swiss composer Daniel Schneider. He made a highly anticipated return appearance in Saint Saën’s Symphony No. 3 “Organ” under the direction of Maestro Delfs in a program shared with violinist Joshua Bell that included an improvisation on excerpts from The Red Violin. In introducing a live broadcast of the symphony on NPR, Maestro Delfs had this to say: “Justin has so much fantasy and color in his playing….the perfect soloist….it was indeed one of the highlights of the season” This recording has subsequently been released on the MSO website.
 
His ‘traditional’ organ performances are often combined with a showcasing of his improvisatory talents: “a fine performance of the Poulenc Organ Concerto with the Arkansas Symphony…..he followed with a rambunctious improvisation on the name of Music Director Philip Mann that brought the near capacity audience to its feet.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
 
Described as ‘A master virtuoso’ in the Frankfurt News and ‘a master improviser of the highest order’ by the New York City AGO, Mr. Bischof is one of the world’s finest improvisers, having won first prize in the 2000 American Guild of Organists National Improvisation Competition in Seattle. The New York Times has called his playing “impressive, spontaneous, subtle…”
 
His all-improvisation performances have been met with critical acclaim throughout the U.S. and on several European tours to England, France, Germany, Czech Republic and Switzerland with performances in such venues as the Dom in Cologne, Frankfurt Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, as well as Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
 
He can be heard on several recordings including the Dedication CD featuring the new Klais organ in Fairfield CT; The Milken Archive of Jewish Music on the Naxos label; and the world premiere of Aaron Miller’s Concerto for 2 Organists (commissioned by Mr. Bischof) with Ken Cowan and the Zurich Symphony Orchestra recorded at the Tonhalle on the Ethereal label.