Peter Holder is an English organist. He is the Sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey.

Education

Holder was educated as a chorister at Worcester Cathedral and at the

King's School, Worcester The King's School, Worcester is an English independent day school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester. It offers mixed-sex ma ...

. He passed the exams for Associateship of the Royal College of Organists (ARCO) in 2009, winning the Limpus, Frederick Shinn, Durrant, and Lord St Audries Prizes. At the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

in London, he undertook undergraduate and post-graduate studies, graduating in 2013 with HRH Princess Alice the Duchess of Gloucester’s Prize for exemplary studentship and winning the John Booth Prize in 2014, and was appointed Pidem Organ Fellow in 2014 and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2016.

Career

Holder held organ scholarships at Southwell Minster (2008–09), the Royal Hospital Chelsea (2009), St Albans Cathedral (2010–12) and Westminster Abbey (2012–14). In 2014, he became the Sub-Organist of

St. Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Gr ...

, during which time he staged and performed in two Grand Organ Galas. In October 2017, Holder became Sub-Organist of Westminster Abbey. Holder was the organist for the

state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death wa ...

on 19 September 2022 at Westminster Abbey, as well as for the service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on 29 March 2022. In addition to his role as Sub-Organist, Holder is also an international recitalist. In the opening concert of the BBC Proms 2019 season at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

, Holder was the organ soloist in the

Glagolitic Mass The ''Glagolitic Mass'' (, '' cu, script=latn, Mša glagolskaja''; also called ''Missa Glagolitica'' or ''Slavonic Mass'') is a composition for soloists (soprano, contralto, tenor, bass), double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. The ...

by Leoš Janáček, conducted by

Karina Canellakis Karina Canellakis (born August 23, 1981) is an American conductor and violinist. Biography Born in New York City, of Greek and Russian background, Canellakis grew up in a family of musicians. Her parents met as music students at the Juilliard Sc ...

. In 2021, as part of the Royal Albert Hall's 150th anniversary celebrations, Holder performed a solo organ recital at the Proms. In June 2022, Holder joined the Board of Trustees for The Eric Thompson Charitable Trust for Organists and Organ Music. Holder is also an organ tutor at the Royal Academy of Music.

Recordings

Holder's first solo recording, 'Bach ist der Vater, wir sind die Buben' was produced at

Neresheim Abbey Neresheim Abbey or the Abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra, Neresheim (german: Abtei Neresheim or ) is located above the town of Neresheim in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. It is now a Benedictine monastery and is part of the Beuronese Congregat ...

in Germany.

Discography

Bach ist der Vater, wir sind die Buben
(Fugue State Films)
Bairstow, Harris & Stanford: Choral works
(

Hyperion Hyperion may refer to: Greek mythology * Hyperion (Titan), one of the twelve Titans * ''Hyperion'', a byname of the Sun, Helios * Hyperion of Troy or Yperion, son of King Priam Science * Hyperion (moon), a moon of the planet Saturn * ''Hyp ...

, 2018)
Dove, Weir & Martin (M): Choral works
(Hyperion, 2022)
Mendelssohn: Choral Music
( Naxos, 2012)

References

__FORCETOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Holder, Peter 1990 births Living people People from Bewdley People educated at King's School, Worcester Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music English classical organists Male organists Cathedral organists 21st-century organists 21st-century male musicians