John Mackey (composer)

John Mackey (born October 1, 1973) is an American composer of Contemporary classical music, with an emphasis on music for wind band, as well as orchestra. For several years, he focused on music for modern dance and ballet.

John Mackey was born in New Philadelphia, Ohio and grew up in Westerville, Ohio, where he attended Westerville South High School. Though musicians themselves, Mackey's parents did not provide him with music lessons. His grandfather, however, taught him to read music and introduced him to computer music notation, but Mackey never formally studied an instrument. Through experimentation with programs intended for entertainment rather than education, Mackey began to compose his own music. Mackey received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1995 from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Donald Erb. Mackey received a Master of Music degree from Juilliard in 1997, having studied with John Corigliano. Mackey has stated his support for these institutions' policies of not requiring composers to perform an audition as many composers, like himself, do not play instruments. On this subject, Mackey has said, "There are obviously ways to compose music without playing a formal instrument."

Mackey lived in New York City from 1995-2005, where he collaborated frequently with choreographers such as David Parsons, Robert Battle, and Igal Perry. Mackey moved to Los Angeles in 2005. In April 2008, he announced on his blog his intention to move to Austin, Texas, citing that much of his income is a result of commissions and other appearances in the Texas area. Then in March 2011, Mackey posted a blog to announce his move to Cambridge, Massachusetts in order for his wife to attend graduate school. He currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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