Party: Warren Wills

Party: Warren Wills

Warren Wills is a composer, musical director, and performer who has worked with many of the world’s best cabaret, opera, jazz and classical artists.

One of the most versatile and gifted musicians on the international scene, he has authored 8 original operas, 10 musicals, 13 children’s musicals, 8 albums, 5 major orchestral works and music direction credits on more than 50 productions. Warren has played and composed for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), as well as Woody Allen in New York City , and has toured extensively in Europe, Asia and the US, with appearances on MTV in the Middle East. Warren was awarded the prestigious Best Musical, Carling London Award, and nominated for Critics Circle Award, Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, finalist for the Vivian Ellis Awards, Evening Standard and Theatre Management Association (TMA) Award for Best Composer, best musical.

Most recently he was composer and musical director of “Ella and Marilyn”, the musical play written by Bonnie Greer celebrating the relationship between the two iconic divas Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald at the Stratford East theatre in London. He was also the composer for the RSC’s production at the Swan Theatre and in Ottawa, Canada of “The Penelopiad”, based on the book by Canadian author Margaret Atwood.

His solo piano performances pay tribute to the giants of piano from Bach and Beethoven, through Brubeck to Jerry Lee Lewis, and are described as “dazzling and electrifying” by The Guardian and with “haunting power” by the Financial Times.

Warren, 47, was born in Australia into a musical family. He started playing the piano at age 4, inspired by his grandfather’s recordings of Chopin. He began composing then, and by the time he was 10, his opera teacher mother enrolled him at Melbourne University to hone his composition skills. At 12, he discovered jazz, and started to perform in clubs and festivals in Australia. By the age of 16, he was teaching composition for the Australian Government in Canberra. At 20, he began touring internationally, working alongside extraordinarily diverse gifted people, getting paid to have fun, and to be a student of the world. And for the past 27 years, he has lived in Europe, now splitting his time between London and Spain.

His work has convinced him that music has more power than people realise. “Over the ages it has supported wars, brought peace, promoted violence and soothed troubled souls. I believe music is underused as a powerful force. Used positively, it is utterly transforming” he says.

Warren is convinced that music education is a fantastic catalyst for touching hearts and breaking down barriers. He receives many invitations from Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK to give master-classes with adults and children, and has a special interest in inclusive music education for children with special needs. He dedicates much of his time in London working with the Haringey Shed Theatre Company which helps North London’s troubled teenagers, as well as those physically, intellectually and socially disadvantaged, to swap a life of boredom, violence and abuse for singing, dancing and acting in large scale music productions.

“They are initially suspicious, but their gang mentality dissolves once we start introducing them to music and movement. They become better human beings right before your eyes and have joy in their lives ­ often for the first time ever, ” he says.


Doors are open from 7.30pm for cocktails, wine, chats about jazz and meeting Warren himself! The show will begin at 8.30pm and continue into the night....