William Whitehead

A recital for the rededication of the organ at Crowcombe Church following its rebuilding

William Whitehead's solo organ-playing career took off when he won First Prize at the Odense International Organ Competition in Denmark, 2004. Trained at Oxford University and the Royal Academy of Music, London, his teachers have included David Sanger, James O' Donnell and Dame Gillian Weir. Valuable inspiration was gained in his year as Organ Scholar of Westminster Abbey, where he played for services and occasionally conducted the choir. This led on to becoming Assistant Organist at Rochester Cathedral, where he accompanied the Cathedral Choir and helped to found the new Girls' Choir. After four years in this post, he moved on to become a Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, and took up a position as Director of Music at St Mary’s Bourne Street, London.

William now combines a career as a concert organist, teacher and writer. He has given recent solo concerts in Berlin Dom, the Laurenskerk Rotterdam, Westminster Cathedral, the Toulouse les Orgues Festival, and in the organ festival in Treviso, Italy.  He is regularly to be heard with groups such as the Dunedin Consort, the OAE and the Gabrieli Consort, with whom he recently recorded Handel's Organ Concerto in B flat, Op 7 No 1. He has made a number of solo recordings, including the award-winning 'Dances of Life and Death' on the Chandos label, featuring music by Alain and Duruflé.

As a teacher, he has held posts at both the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music, and now teaches organ students from around the country, including at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. His teaching is informed by a blend of history, technique and musicianship. He is currently curating a major international project to 'complete' the Orgelbüchlein with new compositions (www.orgelbuechlein.co.uk). William is Associate Organist of Lincoln's Inn in London, where he accompanies the professional choir.