Donovan Haffner

Donovan Haffner is an alto saxophonist. He graduated with a first class BMus degree in Jazz at the Royal Academy of Music.
He has had the opportunity to collaborate with notable musicians, including Shane Forbes and Jay Phelps. He also toured around Italy with Moses Boyd at only 18 years old and at various places around the UK. During his formative years, he received mentorship from figures like Gary Crosby OBE, Alex Davis, and Binker Golding of Tomorrow’s Warriors. Through this organisation, Donovan has been fortunate to be a part of the Jazz House Kids Summer Programme in New Jersey a number of times which helped him further improve his musical skills. Donovan's musical journey has taken him to various prominent venues in London, such as Ronnie Scott’s, The Jazz Cafe, and Pizza Express, and abroad playing at ‘Jazz La Villette’ in Paris. He has also performed at festivals like Glastonbury, We Out Here, Pitchfork, Brainchild, and Love Supreme. Leading his own quintet, Donovan's band consists of Francisco Garcia de Paredes on guitar, Jay Verma on piano, Harry Pearce on double-bass, and Harry Ling on drums. Their repertoire primarily features Donovan's original compositions, influenced by artists such as Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, Ambrose Akinmusire, Walter Smith III, Wayne Shorter, and many more. His compositions are mainly neo-bop but with his own unique twist. Donovan's passion for music ignited at an early age when he explored piano and guitar during his primary school years. At age 10, he picked up the saxophone, and at 11, he joined Tomorrow’s Warriors, where he thrived under their guidance. As an alumnus of Tomorrow’s Warriors, Donovan remains actively involved in their performances and occasionally fills in for the Tomorrow’s Warriors Nu Civilisation Orchestra.

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