Jim McGrath (pronounced McGraw) is a Toronto-based composer best known for his television work, which includes the critically acclaimed series Degrassi: the Next Generation, CBC’s Republic of Doyle and The Kids in the Hall’s Death Comes to Town. Film work includes ThinkFilm’s The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman, Alliance Atlantis’ film Foolproof, starring Ryan Reynolds, Columbia Tristar thriller Resurrection and Odeon’s Treed Murray, which was nominated for five Genie Awards including Best Picture and Outstanding Achievement in Music. The score for Treed Murray went on to win Gold in the Film Festival in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

McGrath has orchestrated and conducted film scores with the Munich Symphony, the Salt Lake Symphony, the London Philharmonia and the City of Prague Philharmonic. He has also written arrangements for such recording artists as Tom Cochrane (with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra), Ian Thornley and Big Wreck (with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra), the Tower of Power Horns, Manteca, The Northern Pikes, Chantal Kreviazuk, Justin Hines, Strippers Union (with Bob Baker of the Tragically Hip), Sarah Slean, Madeleine Peyroux, Brent Carver, Colin James, Tom Wilson and Steven Page with the Art of Time Ensemble.

Jim has also written extensively for the concert stage. His compositions have been performed by a wide range of ensembles including Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings, The Montreal Chamber Orchestra, The Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, The Hamilton Philharmonic, True North Brass, The Red Deer Symphony Orchestra,The Mississauga Symphony, and the Ontario Philharmonic. Concert music includes concertos for flute and cello, a set of miniatures recorded by True North Brass, a suite for horn and orchestra for Canadian Opera Company principal horn Joan Watson, and a commission for the Kitchener Waterloo symphony: