There were several development periods that included various jazz groups, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and two highly influential yet obsure 1960's West Coast rock bands, The Daily Flash and Bodine . . . . . . however,
In 1975, five years after leaving behind his two 'almost-famous' rock bands in Los Angeles, Jon Keliehor distinguished himself by creating the groundbreaking music for London Contemporary Dance Theatre's CLASS, a dance choreographed by Robert Cohan. The music for CLASS consisted of several different scores for four, eight and three percussionists sequentially. The music was overwhelmingly powerful, a world-music style ahead of it's time. Along with the dance and dancers, the music brought audiences to their feet, and as long as live music was in fashion, nearly every dance company in London seemed to want music by him.
After moving to Seattle in 1985, creative relations flourished with DanzaHoy, the seminal Venezuelan contemporary dance company of the time. These collaborations brought forward a wealth of new music. By 1988 he began to discover possibilities for incorporating gamelan influences within his music. It is a direction that he still pursues. Returning to Glasgow in 1996 his music continues to explore new territories, to change in surprising and unpredictable ways.
Born in 1941, Jon Keliehor’s music for contemporary dance, ballet, theatre and film has produced a unique catalogue of percussion based composition. He has created works for London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Royal Ballet, Lindsay Kemp Theatre, Theatre of Lies, DanzaHoy in Caracas, Gamelan Pacifica in Seattle, Pat Graney Dance, Gamelan Naga Mas, Rosina Bonsu, Royston Maldoom and many others.
