Tim Janis earned a composition degree from the University of New Hampshire after studying piano there, completing his studies in 1991. While writing original works he has also directed the Czech National Symphony, the Kwazulu Natal Philharmonic, and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Although he names John Williams, John Barry, and Hans Zimmer among his principal influences, Janis has explored many styles, including musical theater pieces staged at UNH, vocal-driven synthesized pop, music for independent films, and arrangements spanning country, jazz, acoustic, and hard rock. Ownership of his own Kennebunk, Maine, imprint and facility, Tim Janis Ensemble, has given him ongoing access to players across these idioms, a breadth reflected in his wide-ranging catalog.
A steady presence on disc, he has issued more than fifteen solo albums, among them Etain (1996), A Thousand Summers (2002), Across Two Oceans (2004), and Coming Home (2005), together with numerous holiday collections. His writing favors clear, evocative melodies that frequently celebrate natural landscapes; 1996’s Along the Shore of Acadia stands as one such tone poem, drawn from the national park. These qualities suited the music to two PBS documentaries on American scenery, Beautiful America (2004) and Coastal America (2006), both narrated by George Clooney. In 2001 he appeared in the PBS concert special An American Composer in Concert, leading the American Symphony Orchestra.
Convinced that music can serve purposes beyond entertainment, Janis founded the Music with a Mission initiative to foster greater awareness and exchange among cultures. Through the project he arranged U.S. appearances for the all-female, HIV-positive South African choir Sinikithemba to highlight the AIDS crisis, organized performances in China aimed at improving bilateral understanding, and, as of 2006, continued to direct the volunteer Music in Our Schools program intended to encourage music-making among elementary students.
