Simon Park

b. March 1946, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. A graduate of music at Winchester College, Oxford, Park began playing piano at the age of five. In 1972 he was commissioned to write the theme music to the new television detective thriller series Van Der Valk. The theme, called ‘Eye Level’, and credited to the Simon Park Orchestra, was initially released during the first series, but it only reached number 41 in the UK charts. Viewing figures for the second series increased and the theme was re-released by public demand. This time it climbed all the way to the top and became the final number 1 for the EMI/Columbia label. Simon Park went on to produce a number of albums containing a mixture of originals and orchestrated classics. He continues to compose with great success.