John Exton (composer)

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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] [ self-published source ] Ross Bolleter [7] or Stephen Benfall. He died in Perth, aged 76.

Compositions

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References

  1. obituary, found at: ozartsreview.hostingsuccess.com/1299/john-exton-an-appreciation
  2. obituary, found at: ozartsreview.hostingsuccess.com/1299/john-exton-an-appreciation
  3. news.mendelssohn-schol.com/newsarchive.aspx
  4. obituary, found at: ozartsreview.hostingsuccess.com/1299/john-exton-an-appreciation
  5. Gordon Kerry (2008): New Classical Music: Composing Australia. University of New South Wales Press. p.148
  6. Stephen Pleskun (2012): A Chronological History of Australian Composers and Their Compositions, volume 2. Xlibris.
  7. interview with Ross Bolleter, see: http://musicguy247.typepad.com/my-blog/ross-bolleter-ruined-pianos/