John Owen

John Owen was born in 1955 and studied composition privately with Richard Rodney Bennett from the age of 14, and then at the University of York where he worked with David Blake, Bernard Rands and Elisabeth Lutyens. His output from this time includes a string quartet, an extensive work for three violas and a wind quintet. Soon after leaving University he decided to concentrate on music administration. He was Director of the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies and then worked as Director of Artistic Planning for the Hallé Orchestra, and he has been a Director of Owen White Management for over 30 years. While working in Aldeburgh he wrote a quintet for ondes Martenot and strings and a song cycle for soprano and clarinet.

He has recently started writing again and since 2022 has composed chamber music, songs and three Myths for chamber orchestra. His String Quartet No 2 was premiered in Italy in summer 2023 and the UK premiere was given by the Brindisi String Quartet in January 2024. His Prelude for solo viola was premiered by Katie Wilkinson in Portsmouth in October 2023 and his Prelude for solo cello by Matias de Oliveira Pinto in Germany in May 2024.