John Chowning is an American composer and researcher who discovered frequency modulation (FM) synthesis in 1967 at Stanford University, creating one of the most commercially successful synthesis algorithms in history.

Chowning's insight — that modulating one oscillator's frequency with another produces complex, musically useful timbres efficiently — was initially overlooked by American manufacturers. Stanford licensed the patent to Yamaha, whose engineers led by John M. Chowning's collaboration developed the DX7 (1983), a digital synth that dominated 1980s pop, rock, and film music with its bright, bell-like tones and affordable polyphony.

Beyond FM, Chowning pioneered spatialization and reverberation techniques at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). His compositions such as "Turenas" and "Stria" remain landmarks of computer music.

Chowning received numerous honors including the SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award, and his work connects academic computer music research with the commercial instrument industry in a way few researchers have achieved.

Notable products: Yamaha DX7 (FM synthesis licensed from Stanford), Yamaha GS-1.