John’s wide-ranging musical career has incorporated playing in orchestras, wind bands, brass bands and dance bands, as well as spending much of his adult life as a conductor and composer. He began studying the violin aged 15 years with Harry Lipman (himself a pupil of Brodsky) and, at the age of seventeen, he was appointed Leader of the Orchestra in HM Yacht Britannia, a position he held for 8 years travelling the world with the Royal Family. During this time he continued his violin studies with Molly Mack at the Royal Academy of Music, and Mr KoeKoe in Arnhem, Holland. In 1976 John undertook a 1-year conducting course at The Royal Marines School of Music gaining the professional qualifications of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM), the Royal College of Music (ARCM) and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (LGSM), as well as the Chappell Conducting Prize and Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Musicians. In 1980, he undertook the Advanced Conductors Course at the Royal Academy of Music with Maurice Miles and Malcolm McDonald, where his joint first study of composition resulted in composer membership of the PRS/MCPS and numerous recordings of his music. In 1997 John was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) and in 1998 he completed his Master of Music Degree (MMus). John has appeared in many of the world’s leading concert halls as conductor and has numerous recording credits to his name. John was, until November 2000, Director of Music of the Royal Marines Band (Royal Band), a position he combined with a parallel career as a violinist and record producer.  His popular recording of ‘The Ashokan Farewell’ has sold more than one million copies. John is currently the MD of Clovelly Recordings Ltd (www.clovellyrecordings.com),  Leader and principal conductor of The Becker Ensemble (www.beckerensemble.com) and conductor of The Kent Concert Orchestra (www.kentconcertorchestra.co.uk).