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John Thomson (28 October 1805 – 18 May 1841) was a Scottish classical composer. He was born in Sprouston, Roxburghshire, the son of the Minister of Sprouston Church.
Thomson became the first Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh in 1838. As a musicologist he edited the Vocal Melodies of Scotland, and he was one of the first conductors to provide his audience with a programme of his concerts giving a critical analysis of the works to be performed. His other compositions included a fine bagatelle for solo piano, a six-part Glee With Whispering Winds, three operas, a flute concerto and a flute quartet, and concert arias. However his career was cut short by his death in 1841.
Subsequently his work was little performed, but there has been a recent revival of interest with his work being featured in John Purser's Scotland's Music series, and a group of people in Kelso organised a bicentennial festival in 2005. Scores of some of John Thomson's compositions, including the G minor piano trio and flute quartet have been made freely available on Sibelius Music's website. More will follow in due course. Some scores are also being added to the International Music Score Library Project.
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