John Laurence Seymour was an American composer and playwright.
Education
He studied composition with Ildebrando Pizzetti and Felice Boghen in Italy between 1923 and 1928. He also studied with Vincent d"Industry in France. In 1940 he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in English literature from Berkeley.
His dissertation, Drama and Libretto, consisted of four adaptations of two Shakespeare plays.
Career
From 1928 to 1936 he served on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley where he lectured mostly on opera and drama. In 1941 he became chairman of the theatre department of Sacramento Junior College where he stayed for more than two decades. From 1969–1985 he was a librarian at Southern Utah College in Cedar City, Utah.
As a composer is best known for his operas, which have been praised for their complex orchestral textures and italianate lyricism.
lieutenant was first performed on January 24, 1935 at the Metropolitan Opera under the baton of Ettore Panizza, with Lawrence Tibbett in the title role. Fluent in multiple languages, made translations from Russian and French drama and wrote a number of plays.