The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was the creation of classically trained guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes (Crawley, Sussex, England, 1949 - 1997). Jeffes and cellist co-founder Helen Liebmann were the only core members throughout its life; a number of other musicians appeared on the Penguin Cafè Orchestra's six studio albums. The Penguin's sound is not easily categorized, it has elements of folk music and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass.