(For other people named John Whitfield, see John Whitfield (disambiguation).) John Whitfield (born 21 March 1957) is a British musician and conductor from Darlington, England. Whitfield was educated at Chetham's School of Music and Keble College, Oxford. Contemporaneously he was principal bassoon of National Youth Orchestra (GB) and European Community (now Union) Youth Orchestra, EUYO. He was awarded Associate of the Royal College of Music with honours at just 17 and an MA in music from Oxford University.