John Mitchell

California composer John Mitchell was born in Hollywood on April 26, 1941, first son of John Stewart Mitchell and Teresa Hideg Mitchell. His father was a concert pianist and a cousin of Canadian novelist W.O. Mitchell; his mother was a writer on diet and health and an opera singer.

He studied music composition at the University of California, Los Angeles with Dr. John Vincent, who had succeeded Arnold Schoenberg as head of the composition department. In late 1965 Mitchell left UCLA, then played for a ballet school. In July 1966 he became a member of the U.S. Army Band at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where he performed various functions, including playing the clarinet and bell lyre. He remained close friends with Dr. Vincent until Vincent's death in 1977.

Since 1962 Mitchell has been a church organist, accompanied singers in recital and opera, been a church music director and also conducted opera.

He has been composing since 1957. His compositions include works for solo piano(including twelve sonatas), solo organ (appropriate for both church service and recital), chorus (including four oratorios, ten cantatas and a requiem mass, all with orchestra), vocal and instrumental chamber music, more than four hundred songs, most of which are art songs, five operas, including a trilogy on the Emily Brontė novel Wuthering Heights, arrangements, and three orchestral suites.

He has lived in Los Angeles all his life and currently is there with his wife artist Vicky Brago-Mitchell and two cats. To visit their personal page click here.

John Mitchell's comments on music and culture

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The Beauty of Touch
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