Michael Brooks was born in 1957 and lives in Herne Hill. A doctor by profession he works in a General Practice in Bermondsey, South London. He has had an interest in music since an early age and as a youth was a guitarist in a Christian rock band. In later years he has studied orchestral and choral music and started playing the trombone in 1997. As a performer he is a trombonist in the European Doctors’ Orchestra and in a brass ensemble which he organises. He plays bass guitar in a jazz trio and is a member of the music team of his local Anglican church in whose choir he sings bass. He is a founder member and conductor of the Southwark Sinfonietta.
He studied theory and composition with Karl Leutfeld and attended composition seminars at Morley College under the guidance of Paul Webster. As a member of COMA (Contemporary Music for Amateurs) he won a mentorship in composition with Michael Finnisy.
Michael’s aim is to compose music that an audience can relate to easily with both descriptive and emotional impact. He strives to sound distinctly contemporary without disregarding the emotional [musical] language of the past. His portfolio includes string quartets, orchestral pieces and choral works.