English-born John Wells is a graduate of Cambridge University where he was organ scholar at King's College Chapel under David Willcocks. He received his organ doctorate with high distinction from Indiana University after studies with Dr Oswald Ragatz. He is well-known to New Zealand audiences as a concert performer, composer, recording artist and teacher. Tours have taken him to Australia, England, Poland, Germany, France and North America; in 2008 he will visit the UK and Germany again.

Dr Wells is Organist to the University of Auckland and Visiting Artist-Tutor at the School of Music; he is also Auckland City Organist and has played a key role in the successful campaign to rebuild the Town Hall organ. He is a past-President of the New Zealand Association of Organists which elected him an honorary Fellow in 2002 for his services to organ music in New Zealand. He has made seven CDs including the very first New Zealand organ CD in 1989, and has recorded the entire Well-Tempered Clavier of Bach on the organ.

He is much in demand as a composer; recent commissions include compositions for an organ tuned in meantone and the completion, after six years, of The Well-Tempered Piano, 30 preludes and fugues in all the keys. His compositions have used Maori and Tongan influences. He is currently working on a set of choral pieces for Musica Sacra, one of Auckland's leading choirs. Other compositions include works for young players and youth orchestras.