John Whiting

John Whiting is an American sound designer and engineer who currently lives in London. In 1979, he joined the Electric Phoenix quartet as a sound projectionist, working with a group for over twenty years and touring Europe and the United States. John also worked as the principal sound designer with London Sinfonietta and Glyndebourne Festival Opera House, collaborating with Oliver Knussen, Nigel Osborne, and Sir Michael Tippett. He has provided the sound projection for Kronos Quartet, The Hilliard Ensemble, Alte Oper, Music Theatre Wales Ensemble, Singcircle, Lontano (2) and numerous symphony orchestras. Luciano Berio, André Previn, Andrew Davis, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Riccardo Chailly and Sir Simon Rattle are among a few conductors that have recruited Whiting. Whiting also worked as an electro-acoustic collaborator in duo recitals with Terry Riley, James Wood (4), Rolf Gehlhaar, William O. Smith, John Potter, Tristram Cary and many other renowned composers. In his October Sound studio in the basement of October Gallery in London, John produced pre-recorded performance tapes for Iannis Xenakis, Henri Pousseur, John Cage, Nigel Osborne, Neely Bruce, Barry Guy, and other European and American artists. Electric Phoenix utilized October Sound as a rehearsal and recording space. An 8-channel Ambisonic Surround Sound amplification system developed by Whiting served as the basis for several of James Wood's electro-acoustic compositions for percussion, amplified choir, and computer sampling. Numerous other artists also have been employing the technology. John Whiting lectured on Ambisonic recording techniques at Ircam and Morley College, London. From 1982 to 1994, Whiting was in charge of sound projection for percussion events at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Darmstadt. John had two extended residencies at Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, where he performed and demonstrated electro-acoustic techniques with John Kenny. Aside from his career in sound producing, John Whiting is a prominent food writer.