Carol Williams (organist)

Carol Anne Williams D.M.A., ARAM, FRCO, FTCL, ARCM (born 1972) is a British-born international concert organist and composer, now residing in America. She served from October 2001 and resigned her post in October 2016 as Civic Organist for the city of San Diego, California, performing regularly at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. She was concurrently serving as the artistic director of the Spreckels Organ Society; producing the largest organ festival in North America since 2001. She was formerly the Artist in Residence at St. Paul's Cathedral San Diego.

Upon stepping down from her post as Civic Organist for the city of San Diego in October 2016, in recognition of her fifteen years of service, Carol was awarded the title of San Diego Civic Organist Emerita. Presently the Artist in Residence at Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia and the Artistic Director of Viscount North America.

As a featured musician on many media platforms, she highlights her profound love for the "King of Instruments." Carol hosts ''TourBus'', a documentary series exploring the large and small, famous and unique pipe organs of the world,"TourBus"
Bell Video and also, hosts a YouTube talk show series called "On The Bench with Dr. Carol” where she interviews musical artists.

Early life and education

Williams was born in Great Britain in a Welsh family with musical influences. She began private lessons at age five and was able to read music before she was reading English. Her formal training started with five years at the Royal Academy of Music where she specialised in the organ, performing as a student of David Sanger. She obtained the academy's prestigious Recital Diploma, together with the LRAM for both organ and piano. She was awarded all the major prizes for organ performing and, during her studies, she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and a Fellow of Trinity College London, as well as an Associate of the Royal College of Music.

Williams has also studied with Daniel Roth, the Organist at the Church of St. Sulpice, Paris. Moving to the United States, Williams undertook postgraduate study at Yale University under the direction of Thomas Murray. She was appointed University Chapel Organist and was awarded an Artist Diploma (AD) together with the Charles Ives Prize for outstanding achievement. She then relocated to New York City where she became the Associate Organist at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Long Island's Garden City. She undertook doctoral study under McNeil Robinson at the Manhattan School of Music, where she received the Helen Cohn award for her Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree.

Career

Williams has performed around the world, including: St. Sulpice and Notre Dame, Paris; Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles; Westminster Abbey; St Paul's Cathedral; King's College, Cambridge; The Queen's College, Oxford; Salisbury Cathedral; Blenheim Palace; Woolsey Hall, Yale University; Memorial Chapel, Harvard University; St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York; Washington National Cathedral; St. Ignatius Loyola, New York; Riverside Church, New York. She has also given numerous concerts in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Monaco, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Singapore, China and Russia.

Williams has been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of her contribution to music.
A regular broadcaster in the UK and in America, she has been the guest performer with a number of leading orchestras including the BBC
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