William Whitehead (organist)

William Whitehead (born 23 March 1970) is an English concert organist. Born in Billericay at St Andrew's Centre Hospital, Essex. His father was the late Dr Peter Whitehead, a Pathologist at Billericay. William was trained through the Oxbridge and Cathedral route. One of his recordings, Dances of Life and Death (released by Chandos Records) was awarded a Diapason Découverte in Diapason Magazine.[1] He is currently Associate Organist of Lincoln's Inn in London. He is curator of the Orgelbüchlein Project, an international collaboration to complete Bach's Little Organ Book.[2] He teaches organ scholars at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Training

Whitehead was a pupil at Taunton School.[3] After a period of study at Hereford Cathedral, he took up a place at University College, Oxford as Organ Scholar. This was followed by a year's study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. At the same time he held the position of Organ Scholar of Westminster Abbey.[4]

Career

His first appointment after study was as Assistant Organist of Rochester Cathedral where he was an inaugural director of the new girls' choir. Subsequent appointments were as an Academic Studies Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music and as Director of Music at St Mary's, Bourne Street.[5]

Whitehead co-directed the London Organ Forum with Ann Elise Smoot.[6] He was a Professor of Organ at Trinity College of Music in London, and examines for the Royal College of Organists. He is a solo organist and also plays continuo with groups such as the Gabrieli Consort,[7] Instruments of Time and Truth, Dunedin Consort and The Academy of Ancient Music. He appeared as a solo organist in the 2017 BBC Proms[8][9] and at the Royal Festival Hall in 2018.[10]

References
  1. "William Whitehead - concert organist" (PDF). Diapason. Mondadori. February 2008. p. 1. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  2. "Orgelbüchlein Project". Orgelbuechlein.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  3. "Old Tauntonian Review" (PDF). Taunton.web. April 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. "Organ Music and Education in Britain". www.voxhumanajournal.com. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. "NYC Chapter AGO Programs & Events - 2010-11". www.nycago.org. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. "RCO London Organ Forum". rco.org.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. "Bach Live stream starts at 8:00PM". Wigmore Hall. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  8. "Proms 2017: Our writers pick their highlights of the coming season". The Guardian. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  9. "Prom 47: Bach's 'Little Organ Book' past and present". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. "William Whitehead at Royal Festival Hall organ - The Classical Source". classical source. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
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