Biography

Paul Winter and his group, the Paul Winter Consort, have performed around the world, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Miho Museum in Japan. One of the earliest exponent’s of world music, the group has also pioneered a new genre of “earth music,” (described as “ecological jazz” by fans in Russia), interweaving classical, jazz and world music elements with voices from what Winter calls “the greatest symphony of the earth.” The Consort has won four Grammy Awards, for Spanish Angel (1994), a live album recorded in Spain; for Silver Solstice (2005), which celebrates the annual Winter Solstice Celebrations in New York; Crestone (2007); and Miho: Journey to the Mountain (2010). Since 1980 Paul and the Consort have been artists-in-residence at the world’s largest cathedral, New York’s St. John the Divine, where they have presented over 100 special events. The early Consort recorded four albums for A&M with producers Paul Stookey and Phil Ramon, and one for Epic produced by George Martin, Icarus, which was recorded in the summer of 1971 in the unhurried, unpressured atmosphere of a rented house near the sea. Martin said Icarus was “the finest record I ever made.” That landmark experience underscored the importance of establishing a place where Paul could nourish his music and his community.