John Bradbury [John] Austin (08/06/1934), an American composer (born in Mt Vernon). He began singing in grade-school music class, inventing descants in the back row. He continued to sing throughout high school, in Boston's Chorus Pro Musica during his college years, in the Vienna Singverein Chor under von Karajan, Karl Richter and others, and in the Chicago Symphony Chorus under Jean Martinon, Georg Solti and others. During composition studies with Roy Harris in the 1950s, the two would trade improvised phrases—sung, of course. All these experiences resonate in John Austin's music—instrumental as well as vocal. Austin holds an M.A. in Music from Roosevelt University, where he studied with Robert Lombardo, and a PhD. from the University of Chicago, where he studied with Ralph Shapey.