Jane Harbour is a composer and violinist, based in Bristol, England. She is the main composer and driving force in the group Spiro, which she formed in 1993.  She was classically trained in the Suzuki method and studied with Shinichi Suzuki in Japan, and became inspired by Bach, Bartok, Britten and Stravinsky.  Her composition later became influenced by electronica, American minimalism and systems music, blending melodies of classical weight with driving rhythmic riffs of unusual spiky beauty, deep layers of interplay between the instruments and a dynamic use of systems, aiming to produce moving, exciting and new music.   

Jane has also written for theatre, live film and TV, and for other ensembles including the experimental project The Small Mammal Mirror.  She has written extensively for voices, using her trademark machine-like intricacy and interplay.  This material has been performed in theatre and in a commission for the National Portrait Gallery.  She has spearheaded the composition and arranging on Spiro's four albums for Real World Records, whilst playing concerts internationally.   Her latest piece Kynde, a BBC Radio 3 commission, for six voices, orchestra and archive recording, was performed live on Radio 3 by the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Singers on March 31st 2017, conducted by Martin Yates.

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