John Orr was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee where he began singing at an early age in school and church choirs. Beginning in grade school, he was a professional studio vocalist, recording children’s music for various Nashville music publishers. He attended John Overton High School where he sang under Knoxville native David Spencer. 

Dr. Orr studied choral music and percussion at William Jewell College in Liberty, MO where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Music Theory/Composition and Church Music. He received a Master of Music from Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Alabama with research on the effects of aging on the amateur singing voice.  Orr has studied choral conducting with Dr. Arnold Epley, Dr. John Dickson, Dr. Sandra Willetts and Dr. John Ratledge.

An active church musician, Orr has also been involved in community music through experiences such as directing a school of fine arts in Montgomery, Alabama to conducting a home-school youth choir in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As a graduate student at Alabama, Orr served as Assistant Director for the Tuscaloosa 

Community Singers and created a University Chamber Singers ensemble. He has created Fine Arts concert series at three separate churches and currently directs the concert series at the Community Church in Tellico Village where he serves as Pastor of Music and Worship. Dr. Orr has written three units of children’s choir curriculum for Celebrating Grace publishing.

He was appointed Artistic Director in 2018.