His music has a wide range of expression, generally within a tonal idiom notable both for its rhythmic propulsiveness and a strong lyrical element.
He studied privately with Vincent Persichetti, and in classes with Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, David Diamond, Leon Fleischer and Roger Sessions.
In 1990, Dillon was offered the position of Assistant Dean at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he is now Composer in Residence.
In a review of his fourth string quartet, the Washington Post cited the work’s “jewel-like craftsmanship,” saying, “Dillon’s control of time was a conspicuously imaginative element throughout.” Gramophone called his recording Insects and Paper Airplanes “Sly and mysterious…just when you thought the string quartet may have reached the edge of sonic possibilities, along comes a composer who makes something novel, haunting and whimsical of the genre… Each score is an arresting and appealing creation, full of fanciful and lyrical flourishes…Highly recommended.” And Musicweb International commented on “music that is often profound without being pretentious, sometimes light-hearted but never 'lite', humorous without being arch, and immensely appealing but never frivolous."
Fanfare magazine called him “an original in the best sense of the word.” Dillon's blog[2] Infinite Curves was featured on Sequenza21.com for ten years before moving to ArtsJournal.