John Exton (composer)

John Albert Exton (28 March 1933 – 13 September 2009) was a British composer of classical music.[1]

John Exton was born in Wolverton, and started to play the violin at the age of 11. In 1950 he became leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.[2] He started to read music at the King's College in Cambridge. In 1956 he won the Mendelssohn Scholarship[3] and studied with Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence for a year. After that he continued his studies in Cambridge with Robin Orr and Matyas Seiber.[4] He became Doctor in Music in 1963 and in the same year the director of music at Bedales School.

In 1966 John Exton followed an appointment as a senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia in Perth. He taught composition there until his retirement. Notable students of John Exton include Carl Vine,[5] Jennifer Fowler,[6] Ross Bolleter[7] or Stephen Benfall. He died in Perth, aged 76.