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Alan John

b. 1958

Australian composer

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About Alan John

Born 1958. Alan John is an Australian composer.

Alan John (born 7 May 1958 in Sydney) is an Australian composer. He studied music at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1980. His compositions include original music for various plays, films (such as Holding the Man, Three Dollars and The Bank) and TV series (including Love My Way), and the musicals Jonah Jones, Orlando Rourke and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

Operas His opera The Eighth Wonder was premiered in 1995 by Opera Australia. It was revived in 2000, during the Sydney Olympics Arts Festival, and again in 2016. In May 2008, his chamber opera Through the Looking Glass, to a libretto by Andrew Upton, was premiered by the Victorian Opera at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, conducted by Richard Gill. In May 2011, his opera How to Kill your Husband (and other handy household hints), to a libretto by Timothy Daly and based on Kathy Lette's 2007 book of the same name, premiered at the same venue under the same conductor.

Awards and nominations

APRA-AGSC Awards The annual Screen Music Awards are presented by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) for television and film scores and soundtracks.

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are for live performance in Australia, including theatre, musicals, opera, dance and live music.

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Important facts

Born
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Sydney

People in Alan John's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Alan John's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Alan John?

Australian composer

When was Alan John born?

Alan John was born on 7 May 1958.

What is Alan John's occupation?

Alan John is a composer.

What nationality is Alan John?

Alan John is Australian.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Alan John

Β· Wikidata: Q4706975

Β· DBpedia: Alan John

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Alan John. https://biography.guide/alan-john/

MLA: "Alan John." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/alan-john/.

Chicago: "Alan John." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/alan-john/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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