John Robinson – Composer

Born July 1933 Bolton Lancashire.

John’s life has always involved music, it is what he refers to as his “natural” Subject. At 13 years old he had the opportunity to attend either Music College, Art College or Technical College. Since his father was a practical engineer he was sent to study engineering and serve an apprenticeship. One of the main reasons being that the Technical College was closer to home and the bus fare was therefore cheaper!

At 8 years old he learnt to play the piano accordian (the instrument that he still composes on to this day) he really wanted to play the piano but it was his fathers wish that he played the accordian. He performed his first concert when he was 10 years old, at which time he also learnt to play the cornet with the local Salvation Army band. In later years he played a bigger instrument – the euphonium with which he gained solos and championship brass band awards. He has played in small groups, with orchestras in concerts and cabaret.

As a solo accordianist he was the 1953, 1954 and 1957 North Midlands and North Wales area winner in the National Accordian Solo Championships and a finalist in thee UK Solo Championships in London in 1953, 1954 and 1957.

As Professor Dr John Robinson his career in engineering has taken him to the very top of his profession. And he is acknowledged throughout the world as the expert on Finite Element Methods and has written four books on the subject. He has worked with some of the largest organisation in the world including the Boeing Company in USA, the Lockheed-California Company and has lectured on the subject across the world and also launched the international magazine FEN which accumulated world wide circulation

In 2006 he was awarded the Higher Doctorate degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Southampton. As a recognition of his engineering achievements in FEM Technology he is listed in Debrett’s Distinguished People of Today. Having achieved the pinacle of success in that career it is his aim to try and reach the top with his music career and his time since retiring from engineering is now devoted to this

Alongside his engineering career John has always pursued music and has had two careers running simultaneously, a highly accomplished musician and prolific composer. His first two musicals Island of Dreams (1962) and A Tale of Two Cities (1965) were both written whilst he was working in the USA and A Tale of Two Citied was presented in “American Theatre” by CBS Television and he was subsequently offered a place in the BMI Broadway Theatre Workshop in New York.

Since his retirement John has continued to work tirelessly and Too Close To The Sun is just the latest and by no means the last of the works from this inspiring composer.

John’s company GBM Productions Limited have already produced his musicals Lorna Doone and Shipperbottom’s Rocking Horses outside of London and Behind The Iron Mask at the Duchess Theatre in the West End. GBM has also produced his two ballets The World of Bidlake Woods and Alice Through The Looking Glass in Vienna. They are now producing his new musical Too Close To The Sun at the Comedy Theatre in London’s West End and plans are also in place to take a new production of Behind The Iron Mask to New York where a showcase has already been performed at a New World Stages theatre.