Jerry Lanning was born in Dorset and studied at Southampton University and the Guildhall School of Music in London, principally with Patric Standford, Peter Wishart and Geraldine Peppin. On leaving the Guildhall he was awarded a City of London scholarship to the Mermaid Theatre under Bernard Miles, where he was involved in musicals such as 'Dick Turpin', 'Treasure Island', 'Cowardy Custard' and 'Cole'. He spent about ten years in the theatre as an arranger and musical director, working on a dozen or more musicals, and during this period he also furthered his conducting studies with George Hurst and Lawrence Leonard.
His commercial work has been extremely varied. He has conducted in many of London's leading studios, such as Abbey Road 1 (where Elgar conducted the first recording), Abbey Road 2 (the Beatles' studio), CTS, Audio International, Maida Vale Studios and the Golders Green Hippodrome, and for several years he arranged for and conducted the late lamented BBC Radio Orchestra and recorded for the world-famous Readers' Digest compilations.
An ex-oboist, he plays the piano and French horn, and has in his horn collection a Paxman 35st originally made for Michael Thompson, ex principal horn of the Philharmonia. He has taught at Maidenhead College For Girls and Wycombe Abbey School. He currently teaches part-time at Bradfield College and is a busy freelance arranger, working mainly for the Music Sales Group, International Music Publications, Warner Bros. and Cramer/Middle Eight Music. He continues to conduct, in particular as guest conductor with the Wealden Sinfonia, London Repertoire Orchestra, Blackfriars Sinfonia, North Downs Sinfonia, and with the Maidenhead and Bisham Concert Bands. He also directs the wind band and the wind chamber music at the Charterhouse Summer School of Music (now the CSSM).
