John Cooney studied composition at the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with Simon Bainbridge, George Benjamin and Robert Saxton, followed by a period of private study with Magnus Lindberg.

His music has been performed by a wide array of orchestras, ensembles and soloists, including BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Sinfonietta, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Nash Ensemble, Allegri Quartet, Delta Saxophone Quartet, Chroma, Psappha, Simon Desbruslais, Lisa Nelsen, Gwenllian Llyr, Melinda Maxwell, Graham Caskie & Ellen Baumring-Gledhill. His work has featured in the Aldeburgh, Huddersfield, Spitalfields and Vale of Glamorgan festivals, and his cello piece Tendril was commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music as part of their bicentenary celebrations. John’s music is published by Composers Edition and has been recorded for NMC.

John’s work has received several prestigious awards, most notably the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize, as well as awards from the Leverhulme Trust, Arts Council, British Council and Performing Right Society. He has been Composer in Association with the Allegri Quartet, Composer in Residence with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and is an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

John is well known for his work in education and is Head of Composition at the Yehudi Menuhin School. He has been a Visiting Lecturer in Composition at Royal Holloway, University of London, an Associate Lecturer at Cardiff University, and has taught at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music.

In addition, John has led major education and outreach projects across the UK and internationally, including work with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, South Bank Centre, Brodsky Quartet, Glyndebourne, City of London Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta and ISCM World Music Days.