John Robinson (born 1983) is an English

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and choral conductor. Currently, he is the Director of Music at

Blackburn Cathedral Blackburn Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral Church of Blackburn Saint Mary the Virgin with St Paul, is an Church of England, Anglican (Church of England) cathedral situated in the heart of Blackburn town centre, in Lancashire, England ...

. Robinson is active as an Organ Recitalist, having performed in venues across the US and Europe, and recorded for Priory, Herald, Hyperion and Ambisonic. He has led choral festivals for various organisations including the

RSCM The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) is a Christian music education organisation dedicated to the promotion of music in Christian worship, in particular the repertoire and traditions of Anglican church music, largely through publications, ...

and Pueri Cantores.

Education and early career

Robinson was a chorister and Organ student of Roy Massey at

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Hereford in Hereford, England. A place of worship has existed on the site of the present building since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079. S ...

then Organ Scholar at

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

working with

David Flood David Flood (born 22 February 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Essendon in the Victorian/Australian Football League (VFL/AFL). Flood, a Nhill recruit, struggled with injuries during his time at Essendon. He was pr ...

. He became the Organ Scholar at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

with Christopher Robinson and David Hill. At

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

he won the Brian Runnett Prize for Organ, and the Plymouth National Young Organists' Competition. He became Fellow of The

Royal College of Organists The Royal College of Organists (RCO) is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, with members worldwide. Its role is to promote and advance organ playing and choral music, and it offers music education, training and de ...

and graduated from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

with a degree in Music.

Career

Carlisle Cathedral

From 2005, Robinson was Assistant Organist at

Carlisle Cathedral Carlisle Cathedral is a grade-I listed Anglican cathedral in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, England. It was founded as an Augustinian priory and became a cathedral in 1133. It is also the seat of the Bishop of Carlisle.Tim Tatton-Brown and John ...

where he made several organ recordings for

Priory Records Priory Records is a record company in the UK founded in 1980, and devoted mostly to church music and organ music. Important projects have included the complete Psalms sung by cathedral choirs to Anglican chant, all of the Magnificat and Nunc d ...

including the Complete Organ Works of

Samuel Sebastian Wesley Samuel Sebastian Wesley (14 August 1810 – 19 April 1876) was an English organist and composer. Wesley married Mary Anne Merewether and had 6 children. He is often referred to as S.S. Wesley to avoid confusion with his father Samuel Wesley. Bio ...

and a recording of Romantic English Organ Music. He was the Director of Carlisle Cathedral Youth Choir, and of Cockermouth Harmonic Society.

Canterbury Cathedral

In 2008, he became Assistant Organist at

and organist of

The King's School, Canterbury The King's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils) in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's ...

. He made a solo DVD of Canterbury Cathedral Organ with

, hailed as 'Recording of the Month' by Music Web International, as well as recordings with the Cathedral Choir and Choir of

St. Paul's Choir School

In 2010, Robinson was appointed Organist and Director of Music at

St. Paul's Choir School St. Paul's Choir School is a Catholic Church, Catholic List of choir schools, choir school located at The Church of St. Paul (Harvard Square), St. Paul’s Church, Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1963, by Theodore Marier, th ...

, in Harvard Square. There he was responsible for training the Choir of Men and Boys in daily sung liturgies, concerts, tours and recordings. Having professionalised the men of the choir, Robinson significantly widened the liturgical repertoire of the Choir. He oversaw collaborations with other choirs and orchestras, which raised the profile of the Choir both nationally and internationally. He led their first internationally released recording 'Christmas in Harvard Square'. The recording remained high on the Classical

Billboard Charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

for months after its release. Robinson is active in conducting Youth Choir Festivals, and as an advisor to Church Music appointments. Robinson has appeared as an organist across the US. Recently the choir has released a second album, 'Ave Maria' with Sony Classical.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, John 1983 births Living people Cathedral organists Music directors English classical organists English choral conductors British male organists British male conductors (music) British music educators British expatriates in the United States 21st-century British conductors (music) 21st-century organists 21st-century British male musicians Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Male classical organists