Katherine-based composer Sebastian Harris was born in Tasmania, growing up there and later in Melbourne. His musical study began on the modern organ at the age of seven, later studying the oboe, piano and bassoon and ultimately contrabassoon. After brief studies on bassoon at the University of Melbourne, he studied Practical Composition at the Victorian College of the Arts with Mark Pollard, Johanna Selleck, Chris Dench, Lawrence Whiffin and Rob Vincs. During his study he was awarded the Pratt Foundation Encouragement Award, and he was an active member of the Melbourne Composers' League from 2004-2007.
Sebastian Harris is part of constellation in Melbourne.
His principal achievements as a composer include the work The Wandering Eye, commissioned by Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey for the project "Constellation"; a performance at City Recital Hall, Sydney of Motet for orchestra by Sydney Sinfonia (2008); the collaborative audio-visual publication Chaology (2004); and Colonial Dreaming, composed as part of the what once was Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's Young Composers Program (2002). He has a specific interest in composition for the bassoon family, particularly the contrabassoon.
His work often eludes description, and just as often includes extra-musical elements or influences and this is evident in his cross-disciplinary projects such as The Gaza Strip Show (2002-3) with Sivan Gabrielovich. His music has been synchronised with various dance, theatre and film works. He has dabbled in pop songwriting, worked with community choirs, and also has done some work with aboriginal languages and linguistics with an eye for interdisciplinary work in the future.
His most recent concert performance was Momentary Pleasures for piano (2010) on 20th February 2010, played by the composer in the concert "Salon Wet" in a private residence in Katherine, Northern Territory. He plans to further the performance of new music in the NT. He operates under the title "Auk Kestrel Music" from Katherine.
