Julian "Jules" Buckley (born 8 January 1980) is an English conductor, composer, and arranger.
Career In 2004, Buckley and producer/manager Chris Wheeler co-founded the Heritage Orchestra, with the intention of featuring an orchestra in a music club setting. In 2008, Buckley became principal guest conductor of the Metropole Orkest, a jazz and eclectic music orchestra based in Hilversum, in the Netherlands, and chief conductor from 2013. In 2020, he became Creative Artist-in-Residence with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and stood in as presenter of the BBC Radio 3 programme Classical Fix, in place of Clemency Burton-Hill, who suffered a brain haemorrhage in January 2020.
Collaborations
Buckley has worked with the WDR Big Band; José James and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Patrick Watson and the Orchestre National d'Île de France; and arranged and conducted Caro Emerald's album The Shocking Miss Emerald and Jacob Collier's album Djesse Vol. 1. Other collaborations have included projects with Gregory Porter; Tori Amos; Markus Stockhausen; Emilie-Claire Barlow; Michael Kiwanuka; Louis Cole; Jonathan Jeremiah; Basement Jaxx; Massive Attack; Arctic Monkeys; John Cale; Paul Weller; Emeli Sandé; The Cinematic Orchestra; Jamie Cullum; Cory Wong; Beardyman; Cory Henry; Snarky Puppy; Becca Stevens; Andrea Motis and Dizzee Rascal.
Awards In February 2016, the Snarky Puppy album Sylva, featuring Buckley and the Metropole Orkest, won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. At the end of 2016, Classic House with Pete Tong and the Heritage Orchestra reached No. 1 in the Album Charts. In 2020, the song "All Night Long" by Jacob Collier, featuring Take 6 and the Metropole Orkest, won an award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocal at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
In 2018, Buckley and Metropole Orkest were awarded the Bremer Musikfest-Preis in special recognition of their contribution to the success of Musikfest Bremen.
Notable recent performances
August 2016: BBC Prom 49, with the Metropole Orkest, celebrating the music of Quincy Jones. February 2017: National Symphony Orchestra, with Snarky Puppy at the Kennedy Center, Washington DC. August 2018: BBC Proms with the Heritage Orchestra for a late-night Prom "New York Now", celebrating the changing soundscape of New York and featuring artists from that city, including Hercules and Love Affair. June 2019: "Soundtrack of the 80s with Quincy Jones", with the Metropole Orkest at London's O2 arena. August 2019: BBC Prom 45, with the Metropole Orkest in a homage to Nina Simone, with Ledisi and Lisa Fischer. September 2019: BBC Prom 64 with the Heritage Orchestra and the Soul Mavericks, featuring Terra & Eddie, Sunni and Lagaet. February 2020: Seattle Symphony Orchestra, "The Best of Quincy Jones", at Benaroya Hall, Seattle. February 2020: BBC Symphony Orchestra, featuring Lianne La Havas, at the Barbican Centre, London. August 2021: BBC Proms, with BBC Symphony Orchestra, featuring Moses Sumney. September 2024: BBC Proms, with his orchestra and Florence and The Machine for "Symphony of Lungs"
Personal life
Buckley was born and grew up in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire in the UK. He is the son of Keith Buckley (a doctor) and Joan Buckley, and attended Aylesbury Grammar School. Buckley started playing the trumpet aged nine at the Aylesbury Music Centre. He played in the Aylesbury Music Centre Dance Band and went on to study trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music in London, before changing to classical composition. His initial ambition was to be a jazz trumpeter, but at the Guildhall School his interests grew to include musical composition and conducting. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
Discography Year Production Cooperation Label 2006 The Heritage Orchestra (CD) Heritage Orchestra Brownswood Recordings2006Secret GardenNatalie WilliamsEast Side Records2006The Beauty RoomKirk DegiorgioPeacefrog 2006 Baby, I'm Yours (Single) Arctic Monkeys Domino Recording Co2007If You've Found This it's Probably Too LateArctic MonkeysDomino Recording Co2007Smoke and MirrorsTom Richards OrchestraCandid Records2007Sky BreaksHeritage orchestraBrownswood Recordings2007BrianstormArctic MonkeysDomino Recording Co2008Live at the Albert HallThe Cinematic OrchestraNinja Tune2008 Junkyard GodsTwo Banks of FourSonar Kollectiv2008Slipway FiresRazorlightMercury2008Wake Me 5.30Two Banks of FourSonar Kollectiv 2008 Black Symphony (CD) Within Temptation and Metropole Orkest Roadrunner Records2009BlackbudBlackbudIndependiente2009HeimspielDie Fantastischen VierSony BMG2009Utopia – An Acoustic Night at the TheatreWithin TemptationRoadrunner 2009Black Water Transit (movie)Directed by Tony KayeCapitol Films2009Heritage Orchestra Feat. DJ Yoda Prokofiev Concerto for Turntables and OrchestraHeritage Orchestra feat DJ YodaNonClassical2010What's a Guy Gotta DoJonathan JeremiahIsland 2010 Moke & Metropole Orkest (CD) Moke and Metropole Orkest Pias 2010 Alive 'till I'm Dead (CD) Professor Green Virgin Records2010The Answer EPUnkleSurrender All2010Where Did the Night FallUnkleSurrender All 2010 El Encuentro (CD) Dino Saluzzi, Anja Lechner and Metropole Orkest ECM 2011 At Your Inconvenience (CD) Professor Green Virgin2011A Solitary ManJonathan JeremiahIsland2011TangentTrish ClowesBasho2011A Little BrighterPete LawrieIsland 2011 Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest (CD) Basement Jaxx and Metropole Orkest XL Recordings 2011 Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra – Live at The Royal Albert Hall (DVD) Tim Minchin and Heritage Orchestra Universal Pictures UK 2012 No Beginning No End (CD) Jose James Blue Note 2012 In Motion No.1 (CD) The Cinematic Orchestra Piccadilly Records 2012 Adventures in Your Own Backyard (CD) Patrick Watson Secret City Records 2012 Our Version of Events (CD) Emeli Sandé Virgin2012Through the NightRen HarvieuIsland 2012 Gold Dust (CD) Jonathan Jeremiah Universal2012The Beauty Room IIFar Out Recordings 2012 Home Again (CD) Michael Kiwanuka and Metropole Orkest Polydor2012ClownEmeli SandéVirgin2012See You on the IceCarice van HoutenEMI 2012 Flavor (CD) Tori Amos Deutsche Grammophon2012Gold DustTori AmosDeutsche Grammophon2012No Beginning No EndJosé JamesBlue Note Records2012Tangled UpCaro EmeraldGrandmono 2013 The Shocking Miss Emerald (CD) Caro Emerald Grand Mono2014Fireflies (feat. Tom Parker)Richard RawsonIsland2014Laura Mvula and Metropole OrkestLaura MvulaRCA2014Growing up in PublicProfessor GreenVirgin 2015 Sylva (CD) Snarky Puppy and Metropole Orkest Impulse! Records 2015 Clear Day Emilie-Claire Barlow and Metropole Orkest Empress Music Group 2016 Classic HousePete Tong and Heritage Orchestra Universal2017Ibiza ClassicsPete Tong and Heritage OrchestraUniversal2018Djesse Vol. 1 (CD)Jacob Collier and Metropole OrkestHajanga Records2018What HeatBokanté and Metropole OrkestReal World2019Chilled ClassicsPete Tong and Heritage OrchestraDecca Records2019MelkwegJameszoo and Metropole OrkestBrainfeeder2023This New NoisePublic Service Broadcasting (band) and the BBC Symphony Orchestra Test Card Recordings2024nothingLouis Cole and Metropole OrkestBrainfeeder2024Starship SyncopationCory Wong and Metropole OrkestRoundwound2026Kiss All The Time. Disco, OccasionallyHarry StylesErskine Records, Columbia Records2026With Every Breath I TakeCécile McLorin SalvantNonesuch Records
References
External links Metropole Orkest page on Jules Buckley Information about Jules Buckley on Serious News Homepage of the Heritage Orchestra A.P. Childs, 'Orchestra man and popster Jules Buckley on Holland’s Cross-Linx festival & more'. Art Rocker, 15 April 2015