F. Vivian Dunn est né le 24 décembre 1908 à Jabalpur, Central Provinces, British India. Il était marié à Margery Halliday. Il est mort le 3 avril 1995 à West Sussex, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1960 Queen's Honours list before being awarded the K.C.V.O. (Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order of the British Empire) in the 1969 Queen's Honours List for his services to music.