Often hailed as “our new Mahler,” Jaz Coleman is a visionary composer, conductor, and cultural provocateur whose classical career spans continents, cultures, and musical genres. With over 2.5 million records sold, his pioneering symphonic work has seen him collaborate with the world’s leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Prague Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic.

Coleman’s first major orchestral release was Symphony No. 1 'Idavoll' (1989), a bold debut that marked the beginning of a singular voice in contemporary composition. In 1990, he partnered with Art of Noise co-founder Anne Dudley for Songs from the Victorious City (Warner Music), a celebrated cross-cultural collaboration rooted in Cairo.

In 1994, Coleman released Oceania, the first globally distributed album of traditional Māori music, recorded in collaboration with Māori musicians and using indigenous instruments. The project formed part of a broader cultural contribution that saw Coleman play an instrumental role in transforming the New Zealand national anthem to include te reo Māori—first performed by Hinewehi Mohi at the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham in 1999.

The mid-1990s saw Coleman become a leading figure in the symphonic rock movement. Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd (1995) topped the Billboard Crossover chart for 35 weeks and sold over 850,000 copies. That same year, he released Kashmir: Symphonic Led Zeppelin (Decca Records), which achieved global acclaim with sales exceeding 350,000. In 1999, he collaborated with violinist Nigel Kennedy for Riders on the Storm: The Doors Concerto, while also creating orchestral interpretations of The Who (BMG) and The Rolling Stones (Sony)—crossover projects that collectively sold more than 1.5 million records.

In 2001, Coleman was commissioned by the Royal Opera House to compose the opera The Marriage at Cana, solidifying his reputation within the world of grand opera. A year later, his score for the cult Czech film Year of the Devil (Proměny) earned him triple Anděl Awards and quadruple platinum sales.

In 2003, his Music of the Quantum—a three-part concerto commissioned by the Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter—reflected his fascination with the intersection of science and music. In 2004, Coleman arranged Sarah Brightman’s crossover classical album Harem, a major commercial success that topped the US Billboard charts and accompanied her highest-grossing tour to date.

Coleman was honoured in 2006 with a commission from the Royal Office for Daughter of England, performed at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Four years later, in recognition of his contributions to music, he was appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government.

In 2014, he wrote, scored, and conducted the opening ceremony of the Dubai World Cup—broadcast to over 160 countries—working with the NSO Symphony Orchestra on an epic scale.

In 2019, Coleman released Magna Invocatio – A Gnostic Mass for Choir and Orchestra Inspired by Killing Joke. A bold spiritual and musical statement, the album debuted at #13 on the UK Classical Music Charts and #15 on Classic FM, affirming his rare ability to bridge the worlds of rock and classical with uncompromising vision.

In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Gloucestershire, recognising his lifelong innovation in musical composition.

In 2023, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande performed Coleman’s symphonic celebration of Led Zeppelin at Victoria Hall, Geneva, as part of Festival Antigel. They returned in 2025 to premiere his orchestration of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at the same venue—bringing his trilogy of symphonic rock interpretations to a grand and fitting close.

Looking ahead, Coleman continues to push creative boundaries, with plans to release his magnum opus The Great East alongside a series of live performances. He is also currently at work on a bold new musical endeavour: a large-scale composition based on Aleister Crowley’s The Book of the Law—a dramatic exploration of divine will, individualism, and spiritual liberation.