James Larter

The world premiere of my Percussion Concerto ‘Toros’ is fast approaching! Thursday 6th November at @sinfoniasmithsq with @__wax_on_wax_off__ conducting. The piece centres around two cultural icons of the 20th Century: Pablo Picasso and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Each movement is based around one of their works and their characters are portrayed by an array of percussion instruments. I’m so excited to be working with the fantastic musicians from @sinfoniasmithsq and bringing this piece to life! Ticket link is in bio ✨ • • • • • #music #london #premiere #picasso #toros #neruda #percussionconcerto #soloist #percussionsolo #drums #concert #newmusic #marimba #recital #concerto

Cadenza from 1st Movement of ‘Toros’ Percussion Concerto. 🐂 This movement is entitled ‘Corrida: La Mort du Torero’ and is based on the painting by Picasso with the same name. It depicts a bullfighter being thrown off his horse in the midsts of the bullfight. It’s motion and vivid colours captivated me as well as it’s strong links to Classical imagery. This section of the cadenza illustrates the two characters circling each other and then engaging in their deathly dance! Come and hear the whole piece performed by myself and the fantastic @sinfoniasmithsq with @__wax_on_wax_off__ conducting at St John’s Smith Square on 6th November. I will also be playing excerpts from the concerto tomorrow afternoon on @bbcradio3 InTune! • • • • • #music #percussionist #london #drums #percussion #concert #newmusic #marimba #concerto #toros #cadenza #drummer #bbcradio3 #bbcintune #picasso #neruda #drummer #whatsonlondon

PSAPPHA - Xenakis I love the raw energy and power of this piece combined with the freedom in the instrumentation; he only specifies wood/skins and metals. “Psappha” is an archaic form of “Sappho”,[2] a great Greek poet from the Island of Lesbos, born in the 6th century BC. Her style was sensual and melodic, and she was one of the first poets to write from the first person, describing love and loss as it affected her personally. The target of her affections was most commonly female, and today both her name and place of residence have become synonymous with woman-love.

I had the immense pleasure of writing the music for this fantastic film by @haraldaltmaierphotography . It grants the viewer an insight into Harald’s inspiring artistic efforts as a florist and photographer and I especially enjoyed taking inspiration from the rolling English countryside as well as the lavish display of ‘Composition 24.’ The score features @williamjackmusic on cello and myself on marimba and other percussion. ✨ “Here marine and floral still-life traditions meet in an explosion for the senses. Two urns, by the great Regency silversmith Paul Storr, drip with mermaids and mermen, sea creatures and shells. They stand on an equally effusive Bavarian rococo table, whose surface, amid the scrolls, is carved in the form of scales. Around them, beside them, in them sit lobsters, cooked and uncooked, crayfish, snapper, King cod and a noble John Dory, and surrounding this bounty, other signs of the sea: a couple of turtles and some sandpipers, coral resting in delicate urns, freshly harvested samphire. The play of light is everything, glittering off scales, the silver and the ice, that’s there to keep this catch cool. In contrast to the wealth of the sea, the floral composition celebrates the wealth of the land in an abundance of blooms: larkspur, Solomon’s seal, cow parsley, fritillaria, foxgloves, roses, delphiniums, spirea, poppies, ranunculus, sweet peas and vibernum. “

It may have been a small room, but there was a LOT GOING ON in every corner as @larterjames records #Vivaldi Four Seasons in an electrifying new arrangement for percussion, accompanied by a host of friends, directed by @__wax_on_wax_off__ at the #harpsichord 🥁🪘🛢️ Can’t wait to start video editing this 🎬 Keep an ear out @delphian_records for the full release - you won’t want to miss it 🚀 Recorded at @britishgrovestudios , Jan 2026 #albumrecording #recordingstudio #baroque

Two fantastic days at @britishgrovestudios recording ‘Rhythm of the Seasons’ with @__wax_on_wax_off__ to be released on @delphian_records ! An intense, fun and inspiring experience with such superb players and fabulous producer @paul.andhis.neumanns . I can’t wait to share this music! ✨ @foxbrush_films 📸

For our latest OF Sounds playlist, we met James Larter - the virtuosic percussionist, drummer, and composer - to ask him some questions about making music, living in cultural world capitals, and what’s next on the horizon. We also asked him to create a playlist for Christmas hosting. The first half designed for the period just before guests arrive, the second for the period after. Link to the Spotify playlist in our bio James’ Edit: Jet Black Corduroy Straight Legs, Melange Black Mock Neck, Charcoal Herringbone Gilet #OriginalByNature

Excerpts from the premiere of ‘Toros’ Percussion Concerto at the start of the month. It was such a privilege to work with @__wax_on_wax_off__ and @sinfoniasmithsq on bringing my music to life! 🕊️ More of the performance can be found on my YouTube page. ✨ • • • • • #Music #concerto #concert #drums #percussion #percussionist #toros #percussionconcerto #marimba #vibes #picasso #neruda #smithsquare #premiere

A huge thank you to all who came to the premiere of my Percussion Concerto ‘Toros’ with the fantastic @sinfoniasmithsq and enigmatic @__wax_on_wax_off__ at St John’s Smith Square last Thursday! ✨ It was a real joy; one of those concerts where I felt so in the moment, enjoying every sound and gesture. The full performance will be online soon and I’m so excited to see where I can take this piece in the future! Thanks so much to @citymusicfoundation for their invaluable help with the commission. 🕊️ • • • • • • #music #performance #concerto #concert #drums #marimba #toros #contemporarymusic #newmusic #newpiece #spanishsketches #percussionist #picasso #neruda

V. Finale This is the end of the 5th Movement of ‘Toros’ Percussion Concerto. The last movement is based on ‘Self-Portrait Facing Death’ by Picasso and ‘Finale’ by Pablo Neruda. The same rhythmic theme is heard at the start of the piece with brushes mimicking the sound of a pen frantically writing on paper and here it is at its climax. There’s an overwhelming sense of finality, with a feeling of sand passing through an hourglass. Come and see the whole concerto live at @sinfoniasmithsq on the 6th November at 7pm with the fabulous @__wax_on_wax_off__ conducting! Ticket link in bio. • • • • • #music #percussionist #london #drums #percussion #concert #newmusic #marimba #concerto #drummer #picasso #toros #percussionconcerto #recital #contemporarymusic #neruda

IV. Ya se fue la ciudad (And the City Now is Gone) This 4th movement from ‘Toros’ Percussion Concerto is based on a beautiful poem by Pablo Neruda. I thought the words really fitted with a dystopian-like film noir sound. Close harmonies, muted trumpet and the ticking clock from the percussion signalling the passing of time. Come and hear the whole piece live on 6th November at @sinfoniasmithsq with @__wax_on_wax_off__ conducting! Ticket link in bio! “How the clock moves on, relentlessly, with such assurance that it eats the years. The days are small and transitory grapes, the months grow faded, taken out of time. It fades, it falls away, the moment, fired by that implacable artillery- and suddenly, only a year is left to us, a month, a day, and death turns up in the diary. No one could ever stop the water’s flowing; nor thought nor love has ever held it back. It has run on through suns and other beings, its passing rhythm signifying our death. Until, in the end, we fall in time, exhausted, and it takes us, and that’s it. Then we are dead, dragged off with no being left, no life, no darkness,no dust, no words. That is what it comes to; and in the city where we’ll live no more, all is left empty, our clothing and our pride.” • • • • • #music #percussionist #london #drums #percussion #concert #newmusic #concert #marimba #vibes #vibraphone #jazz #gilevans #recital #concerto #pabloneruda @xylosynth

⭐️VERY EXCITING NEWS⭐️ I’m very pleased to announce the premiere of my first Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra entitled ‘Toros’ will take place on 6th November 2025 with @sinfoniasmithsq at St John’s Smith Square in London. Conducted by Frederick Waxman @__wax_on_wax_off__ The piece is based around the work and lives of two artistic icons in the 20th Century; Pablo Picasso & Pablo Neruda. The piece explores their work, their friendship and collaboration and the turbulent landscape in which they flourished. This is an excerpt from the 3rd Movement entitled “La Femme aux des” which depicts Jacqueline Roque as the woman with dice or the Queen of Hearts. A playful figure dancing with flair in a world of chance and luck. Book tickets now via the link in my bio! 🕊️ • • • • #music #percussion #composer #concerto #premiere #percussionconcerto #debut #soloist #orchestra #symphony #london #toros @citymusicfoundation