John S. Dixon was born in England in 1957 and grew up about fifty miles east of London, near the estuary of the River Thames. Starting piano studies at age 6, he progressed to pipe organ at age 11. His first composition for public performance, at age 16, was the score to an original book for a youth theater production.

Although he did not choose to make music his career, he was active in music and theater while studying at Oxford University and later at Harvard, which brought him to America for the first time. When he moved to America permanently in 1988, he became a member of Providence Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach where he is now Organist and Composer-in-Residence.

At first, he concentrated on writing music for church use: anthems for the choir to sing and organ voluntaries. In recent years he has started writing for professional performers, including the Virginia Chorale and members of the Virginia Symphony.

He completed his first orchestral score in the summer of 2002, an overture based on three Christmas carols. Over the last few years he has devoted considerable time to researching Christmas carols for his annual Christmas cantata. The scores to these works are available through PROJECT : ENCORE.

Occasionally he may be heard as an announcer on WHRO FM Norfolk, Hampton Roads’ public radio station for classical music. Dixon says, “Working with a library of 20,000 classical music CD’s is a humbling experience for a composer, and I am constantly amazed at how much wonderful music was written by composers who lived short lives and did not have the benefit of today’s technology.”

Some of Dixon’s music has been published by Zimbel Press. He resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Karen, and children Katie and Jack.

Visit the Composer’s Website