Born in London in the 1940s, John Barham studied piano, trumpet and music composition at the Royal College of Music. He then attended London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), where he developed an interest in Indian classical music. Among English classical musicians of the mid 1960s, Barham's piano compositions based on Indian ragas were unprecedented and brought him to the attention of members of India's cultural community in London. Some of his works were first performed and recorded for radio broadcast by British pianist John Bingham (Reflections and Piano Concerto).