 He is survived by his second wife, Jane, whom he married in 1997, and by his daughter (by his first marriage) Virginia.Cannon's first opera "Morvoren" premiered at the Royal College in 1964.Interviewed about this opera by "The Times", the composer stated "I believe that a composer should feel free to build his style from everything that is available – microtones, note clusters, electronic oscillators and the chord of C major – and make a synthesis of all the means at his disposal if by so doing he can make an impact on his audience."